


Beauty and the Beast

by coulro_minutus



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, First chapter is kinda short, Gen, Gender Neutral Pronouns, Have Fun!, I forgot to add DJ Grooves don't hate me please, I'm Sorry, M/M, Mafia Boss plays the role of Gaston, Mustache girl is named Missy, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Perilous Situations, We Die Like Men, bow kid is named Bow, but it's you and snatcher!, but the others will be longer I promise, gender neutral reader, hat kid is named Hattie, hijinks ensue, i couldn't think of anything else, mild curse words, minor cussing, most characters are in the manor already, past trauma, reader is not referred to by gender, she's your little sister, snatcher needs a hug, this is based on beauty and the beast, we all know how beauty and the beast goes, wink - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:29:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24024367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coulro_minutus/pseuds/coulro_minutus
Summary: Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a cold-hearted, jealous queen who cursed her one true love to an afterlife of misery and loneliness. Trapped in a manor he once called home, the prince grew as cold-hearted as the queen once was.Once upon a time, in a not-so-faraway land, lived a person with a heart of gold and a kickass little sister who went on adventures.This is the story of how their fates intertwined on one fateful winter's day._________________________________________________________________________This is a purely self-indulgent Beauty and the Beast AU of A Hat in Time. I fell in love with the game and the characters and, dangit, there aren't enough Snatcher/Reader fics, so I come bearing this gift to contribute. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed thinking about the concept and never actually doing anything about it till now!
Relationships: Snatcher (A Hat in Time)/Reader
Comments: 22
Kudos: 186





	1. Prologue

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a queen in her manor. She lived there with her prince, a handsome young man who, like the queen, was loved by all. The prince was kind and warm to his subjects and showed nothing but love and adoration to the queen.

The Queen, however, was cold and distant from their subjects, and grew jealous of the prince’s attention to the point of obsession; her demeanor only worsened when the prince was called away for the opportunity for education. Her already cold heart began to freeze over without the warmth and love of her prince - she lashed out at her subjects and spent her days pacing her manor, her thoughts confining her to a cell of despair and obsession. She remained a prisoner of the manor for a year until her prince returned.

One winter’s day, eager to see her beloved again, she rushed to meet him in the town he’d be arriving in, but found him among the people: smiling and laughing with them, holding hands and exchanging flowers with other women. Crushed, defeated, and humiliated, the queen raced back to her manor, her heart still and cold. If it could not beat for the prince, it could not beat at all. Unaware of his queen’s change of heart, the prince arrived at the manor with a warm smile and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The queen was repulsed by his appearance and the flowers he held. She sneered at him and turned him away. Confused, the prince picked the single most lovely flower of the bouquet and offered it to her again.

Her still, cold, unbeating heart felt no love for this traitor, she told the prince, and he watched as the woman he loved and missed melted away and was replaced by a looming, shadowy creature. Her hands that once perfectly fit into his grew into long, sharp talons. Her lovely golden hair grew unkempt and unruly. Her eyes, oh, her beautiful eyes which once held such love and affection for him became bitter and distant. The prince tried to apologize and explain his actions, but it was too late. She saw there was no love in his heart, and as punishment she transformed him into a hideous beast, just like her. She placed a powerful spell on the manor, making it and the surrounding land a frozen wasteland, where no light could wander in. The queen promised the prince that whoever entered the manor and did not survive would be his servants - doomed to an eternity of cruelty due to his traitorous actions.

Perhaps it was that he had captivated her so when she was alive, but the queen felt her heart give one final, pathetic beat. As much as she now hated him, she did not wish to see him suffer this punishment for eternity. Before she took her leave, the queen vowed to the prince that if he could learn to love again and have someone love him in return, the spell would be broken. The single most lovely flower from the bouquet he had offered her would serve as his reminder, she decided, and the queen vanished into the ice, never to be seen again.

Ashamed of his monstrous form, the prince concealed himself inside his castle with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. A prisoner of the barren, snow-laden land, which had once housed beautiful springs and wonderfully warm summers, the prince grew as cold and as distant as his queen left him. He did everything in his power to make the fools who had wandered into his manor stay and live out the rest of their days in the horrible, continuous snowstorm with him. The flower she left him was truly enchanted- it would bloom for many years, despite the harsh environment it grew in. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, more people were snatched from their everyday lives and forced into servitude for the prince. With every soul he collected, he fell deeper into despair and eventually lost all hope.

For who could ever learn to love a beast?


	2. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction to the reader and Hattie' relationship. We don't meet anyone new - yet.

You hummed softly as you prepared breakfast: two over-easy eggs, three crisp (nearly burnt) pieces of bacon, and four super fluffy pancakes (with a face made out of berries on the top one and basically a bucket of syrup sitting next to it - sheesh), just how your little sister liked it! Speaking of, that little trouble maker was normally up by now. You finished placing everything on the table before walking into her room and began the investigation. The kid had such a huge room that breakfast might get cold before you could even find her. You had a hunch to check in her giant pillow pile, but was stopped short by her familiar giggle coming from...above.

You didn’t have much time to react before 50 pounds of sister came crashing on top of you, giggling and tickling you, much to your chagrin. In no time your troublemaker sister had you gasping for air and trying to push her off, but Hattie was pretty strong, for an eight year old, and continued her assault mercilessly. She hadn’t even had her sugar-packed breakfast - how did she have this much energy?

“Stop,” you cried between laughs, “I can’t breathe!” Your side hurt from the laughter and your face was flushed from the lack of air.

“Hattie, I’m serious, g-get off!” It was hard to sound serious between wheezes, but Hattie relented and stopped her ambush, though you could tell it was obviously very hard for her to give up such a position of power over you. As you finally regained your breath you shot her a look, which caused her to let out another burst of giggles and run from you. You jumped to your feet and raced after her, catching her by her middle before she even reached her bedroom door.

She was still laughing and you smiled with her as she turned to face you, waiting for your next words. You put on a haughty face and said in your best haughty voice, “As sovereign ruler of this land, young lady, I feel it’s my duty to tell you that tickling is a serious offense, and such transgressions should be punished!” Hattie could barely keep a straight face, letting out little snorts during your sovereign ruler act - which is hard to keep up when you’re holding a silly, squirmy, giggly eight year old.

You gave her a little shake. “You think this is funny, young lady?” She shook her head, her smile never wavering, though she covered it with her hands. You let out a big gasp, “How dare you mock the laws of my land! For that….” you shifted your wait so Hattie rested on her left arm and you raised your right hand, as menacing as someone who still hadn’t gotten out of their pajamas could muster and said in your best scary voice, “You shall pay!”

Your right hand came down and began tickling her ruthlessly - right in the spot where it’d be super hard to get out of without being tickled by your other hand. Hattie’s laughter echoed through the room as she wriggled under your grasp. You could barely hear her pleas of mercy through her breathlessness, and, as much as you kept wanting to torture her for her earlier stunt, she came close to kicking your jaw a few times, and breakfast was still waiting on the table. Speaking of…..

“Alright,” you continued as you relented and stopped the tickle-war. “The court has decided that your punishment is completed. However, as payment for your actions, the court believes that I, the sovereign ruler….gets to eat your breakfast!”

A look of shock and playful betrayal crossed Hattie’s cute little face, letting out a (fake) hurt gasp, before she all but sprang from your arms and dashed to the dining room. You chuckled as you followed after her, heading to the kitchen to make you both a mug of hot chocolate (“It’s the best part of breakfast” you had once told Hattie, and you two kept it in your morning routines ever since). She smiled as you sat next to her and watched the people passing in the street on their own morning routes.

As you finished up your mug of hot cocoa (which was delicious, as always), you decided it was a good enough time to start on your chores. You began cleaning up, and Hattie jumped up to help - she was such a good kid, doing her best to help everyone, even helping in this scenario meant she got to lick the extra syrup off the plates before you washed them. You fell into easy conversation.

“So, Hattie,” you began, handing her a dish to dry off, “have any big plans for today? I know Bow and Missy are out of town today, and I have some errands to do. I don’t want to leave you here bored,” she sheepishly chuckled, remembering what happened the last time you left her home alone when she was bored, “so if you're more than welcome to come with me today, if you’ve got nothing else planned.” Hattie nodded in response, and that was that.

Despite the fact that she was eight, Hattie was surprisingly strong and capable of handling herself (that much was evident when she ambushed you this morning). When it was just you two first starting out, you were weary and overprotective of her. You were a permanent wart on her shoulder, watching every move she made to make sure she didn’t get hurt, which, admittedly, was not a healthy way to care for your little sister. In fact, your overprotective behavior is what drove her away the first time: adventures awaited her, and she snuck out every night to experience them. It was only after you had run after her once and she ended up protecting you (with an umbrella, of all things) from a hoard of angry mafia members that lived on the other side of town did you realize she could handle herself.

From then on, you eased up on the protective big sibling act. Hattie did as she pleased, which was mostly helping out people in your little, quiet town. You both did odd jobs around town to help keep food on the table; at first, you insisted she didn’t have to, but found that she enjoyed the work as it kept her busy and it helped you not overburden yourself with tasks to keep you both, you know, living, so it was a win-win. The townsfolk were nice enough to you and your sister, despite the fact that you were both a little odd.

After the dishes were done, you got ready. You didn’t own anything extravagant, you never really had the need for flashy clothes. They’d just get ruined by your chores anyway. You gave Hattie a kiss on the head before you went out (which she beamed at and playfully stuck her tongue out in response) and began your day, unaware of the danger the waited around the corner.


	3. Little Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your weekly routine in the marketplace, a cooking friend, a little friend, and a not-really-a-friend friend

Fresh air filled your lungs as you took a deep breath of the cold, morning air. The sun had barely begun making its journey across the sky and the marketplace was already packed. With a sigh, you mentally prepared your muscles to push past the townsfolk in the aisle - it was tedious and tiring, but it had to be done if you wanted anything the marketplace had to offer. Plus, you considered it your weekly workout. Bonus!

You pulled out your to-do list and looked it over out of habit. Seeing what you had to do today wasn’t really necessary as it was the same list of chores and errands you ran last week….and the week before that….and the week before that...and so on and so forth. You’d had the same Friday route ever since you first wrote it down. Sometimes, however, your little sister liked to write small notes in the margins of your list. Little things like, ‘You’re doing amazing!’, ‘You’re the best big sibling!’, and ‘I LOVE YOU!!!!’, which was always written in a different color and always had a different amount of exclamation marks. She also scribbled little hearts and smiley faces in the corners, with the occasional portrait of a mafia member with the words “I stink!” in a word bubble next to him.

Hattie’s little notes never failed to put a smile on your face. As you were reading through them today, however, you noticed a special little request she had of you. Once a month, the baker made a special sweet bread that Hattie loved so much, you were sure she’d commit a crime for it, given the opportunity. A loving sigh left your lips as you read over her request.

“Little sneak,” you chuckled to yourself. “Trying to butter me up with cute little hearts so I’d do this for you?” You smiled at her chicken scratch on your list and fondly shook your head. You put aside money every month so you could get her this treat, but you still found it humorous that she went through such great lengths to ensure you did it - you supposed she enjoyed the game as much as you did. “Well, it worked.”

You decided the sweet bread would be first - maybe you could make it back in time to give to Hattie before she went on her adventure. It’s a good thing the baker’s was pretty close. You tucked your list back into your pocket and started on your path, ignoring the looks the other townsfolk gave you, and doing your best to tune out the hushed words they spoke about you.

“They just never really fit in here. They're just kind of...weird.”

“They're too nice. It’s...unnerving. Makes me feel like they're gonna turn on us at any second.”

“They and their sister are both kinda off - when their folks died--”

You forced yourself to stop listening. Take a deep breath, you told yourself, it’s not bad that you're nice. The people of this town had always relied on extortion and bullying and blackmail to get what they want. You and Hattie were just raised differently - you both tried to settle disagreements pleasantly, first, and you tried to put others ahead of yourself. They were just disturbed by your different way of doing things (namely, not being curt or rude to someone who has something you want). Oh well, that was something they’d have to work out themselves. You had exhausted yourself before trying to reason the behaviors of your fellow townsfolk, and you don’t really have the time or want to psychoanalyze them now.

You have to get that sweet bread.

You could hear the baker bustling in the back as you entered her shop. “Good morning, Cat,” you called as you approached the counter.

A ball of ginger hair popped out from behind the kitchen door, followed by bright yellow eyes and a wide, knowing smile. “Good morning, (Y/N)! It’s so good to see you today! I’ll be just a moment!”

“No worries, Cat!” You shouted back. You only came to the bakery twice a month: the first time is at the beginning of the month to get a bunch of loaves for sandwiches and french toast, and the second time is for-

“Sweet Bread!” Cat burst out of the kitchen door holding a tray of said treat that you could only assume literally came straight out of the oven, if the steam rising from the loaves were any indication. “Hattie swooped by yesterday to tell me you’d be coming to get some today!” You rolled your eyes. Of course she did.

You smiled and nodded, “Well, she’d been right!” You watched as Cat dumped the sweet bread into a small basket for you and covered it with a checkered picnic blanket. You laughed lightly as she presented it to you with a flourish. “You spoil us, Cat. What are you gonna do with all this sweet bread if we ever leave?”

Cat narrowed her eyes playfully at you. “You’d better not, else I’d have to start giving out sugar for free, just to keep my inventory in check! Which reminds me…” She all but shoved the basket into your hands as you were still trying to find the exact amount for her. “These are on the house today! Just for you. And the little one.” Cat beamed up at your shocked face as you sputtered out an excuse.

“Really? B-but I can’t just take these! You deserve money for your work,” You managed to stutter out.

“And YOU deserve a thank you for being such a good friend and loyal customer all these years.” Cat cast you a playfully withering look as you opened your mouth again. “And I’m not taking no for an answer.”

You closed your mouth and sighed, before smiling gently at her. “Thank you, Cat. Sincerely! I’ll pay you double next time-”

“That's not what ‘on the house’ means!”

* * *

You left the bakery with a basket of (free) sweet bread, a smile on your face, and your head in the clouds. Thoughts on how to repay Cat had occupied your mind so much that you didn’t even look where you were going and subsequently bumped into somebody. A rather small somebody.

“Oh!” You cried. “Oh, I’m sorry! Are you ok?” You finally snapped out of your stupor to look down and see a very welcome sight.

Bow’s familiar smile beamed up at you. “I’m ok, (Y/N). I’m tougher than I look!” Little Bow was part of the Outcast Club as well - her favorite bright green coat and somewhat frivolous attire made her stick out like a sore thumb in a town of dull colors and dresses, but she didn’t seem to mind the attention. She and Hattie were like two peas in a pod. Speaking of….

“What’re you doing in town? I thought you had plans today.” Something concerning some big bad monster that you were sure was just an animal from the forest that encircled your town. Bow loved animals and practically went out searching for a new one each week to drag home and beg her caretaker to let her keep. She shook her head, “Nah, everything’s been taken care of already.”

“The verdict being?”

Bow huffed and kicked the ground. “No. Like always.” She gave a melodramatic sigh.

“Don’t worry, kiddo. I’m sure you’ll find a suitable pet someday. Maybe you should narrow it down to something like a cat? Or a dog? Or literally anything that would fit in your house?”

“You’re no fun.” She playfully stuck her tongue out at you. “Oh! Yeah! Is Hattie with you?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. You feigned hurt as you put a hand over your chest. “I’m not fun enough to hang out with the amazingly awesome Bow? Oh, right in my pride!” It was your turn to sigh, but you couldn’t keep a straight enough face for long and you and Bow both burst into giggles. Her face scrunched up as a way of saying ‘you know that’s not what I meant’.

You smiled and shook your head, “No, she’s not with me today. Don’t know why’d she’d skip out on such fun adult errands.” You hear Bow snort. “She’s going on an adventure today. I’m sure she’s still getting set up if you wanna go catch her, but, if you do, could you give her these?” You held out the basket of sweet bread. Bow nodded and took the basket. “And one of these?” You ask as you kneel down to her level. She looked at you questioningly before you scooped her into a big hug and placed a big, gross kiss on her forehead.

She squealed and laughed as she wriggled out of your grasp with a weak, “Ok, ok, I will, just let me go!” You laughed and did as she asked, waving her away as she took off towards your house.

You continued about your day, finishing up your other errands, mostly just boring grocery shopping. You did manage to swing by the bookstore and borrow a copy of Hattie’s favorite bedtime story and one of your own, a story with action, damsels in distress, daring sword fights, magic spells, and a prince in disguise. Your parents read it to you when you were younger, and it had been one of your favorites ever since. The bookstore owner was nice enough to lend it to you whenever you wanted to read it - it seems virtually no one else in your town wanted to partake in such a novel, but, hey, you weren’t complaining. You looked over your list one last time before concluding you were done for the day. You should really head home and put your groceries away but...it was such a lovely day out!

The sun was still high in the sky and a gentle breeze carried itself to cool you down from the heat every couple of minutes. With a sigh and a smile, you sat at the town well, shaded and cool, and cracked open your book. Despite the fact that you’ve read it so many times that you could quote it by heart, reading the first page always felt like a new adventure. God knew you couldn’t go on one yourself, you didn’t even know the first thing about adventure! Plus, if something happened to you and Hattie was left all alone….you’d never live your afterlife in peace. So you lived vicariously through your adventure books and through Hattie. She knew what she was doing, and she did it well. You got your share of adventure when she would come home and excitedly tell you everything that happened with as much detail as she could. You were happy to hear of her exploits and did everything you could to support her (and not revert to your overbearing and protective ways).

As you began the second chapter of your book, a loud ‘AHEM’ was coughed in front of you- you nearly jumped out of your skin, being as immersed in the book as you were. Flustered, you marked the page quickly and looked up, only to let out a sigh of disappointment upon seeing who it was.

The head honcho of the mafia himself was smirking down at you, twirling his mustache around his finger (seriously, who even does that?). This guy had such an ego that he demanded that everyone call him ‘Boss’, like he ruled everyone in the small town, including you and your sister. You could barely conceal a groan as you stood up and dusted yourself off. Might as well head home if this creep was going to hang out by your favorite reading spot.

“Afternoon, Boss.” You said with your best kind-but-fake smile. “How are you today?” Just because you didn’t like the guy didn’t mean you couldn’t be polite. Maybe it could get you out of here faster.

“Afternoon, (Y/N)! I was just out and about, but your presence has made my day so much better than it had been.” Oh, gag. His tone was so condescending, and while you might have genuinely made his day better, he spoke like he was asking his dog ‘who’s a good boy?’. You forced a smile and tried to push past him, but were stopped short when he slug an arm over your shoulders. Add “take a hot shower” to your list of things to do when you got home.

This was going to be a long day.


	4. Little People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two adventurers and their mutual love for bread? Check.
> 
> One Mafia Boss and one reluctant reader? Check.
> 
> One very small detail about said reluctant reader and one adventurer's past life? Check.
> 
> All set for take-off, cap'n!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took a while - I had planned for updates to be weekly but, you know how life is. Hope this is enough to make up for it!

After you left the house, Hattie set about preparing for her next adventure. She set aside the items she usually brought - her hat, of course, her trusty umbrella, and a bag for cool rocks and leaves she found along the way. With her gear ready for her by the door, Hattie set about her other preparations; the most important part of any adventure, a part so crucial that it could make or break the entire expedition…

Snacks!

Being the totally amazing and absolutely stupendulous big sibling you were, you often helped Hattie pack snacks, and when you weren’t able to be there, on days like today, Hattie would dive into the snack reserve you and her both worked very hard on. Considering you were preoccupied today, and Hattie didn’t want to wait around for the sweet bread she knew you’d get her, the young child all but dove into the snack reserve-

\- only to find it completely empty. She must have forgotten to tell you the last time they ran out. 

Hattie huffed and continued to pack her things, her mood soured by the thought of a long, fun adventure without anything to eat. The snacks were the best part! Always! No if, ands, or buts! You made the best sardine and peanut butter sandwich (you didn’t like it, but still perfected it for you little sister. Sweet, right?) and, really, that’s what made the whole exploration worth the hiking and the running and the jumping and the little kid energy. 

She’d have to live. Disgustingly delicious sandwich or not, there was a whole world out there for Hattie to explo-

“HATTIE! ARE YOU STILL HOME OR DID YOU ALREADY DIE IN THE FOREST WITHOUT ME?” The front door was virtually blown off its hinges as a voice announced the presence (and, albeit, rough intrusion) of a dear friend.

Despite her now racing heart, Hattie smiled and dashed for the door, practically engulfing her best friend in a bear hug as they tumbled to the floor. Their laughter rang throughout the house and only quieted when Hattie caught the scent of something sweet and familiar.

Bow giggled as she stood, bringing Hattie up with her as well. “Your sibling got something for you, and asked me,” she gestured a grand flourish with her hand before curtseying to her friend, “the best mail-kid this side of the fountain to deliver it to you.”

Hattie scrunched her nose and playfully stuck out her tongue at the remark.

Bow mirrored the expression. “Oh, well, if you don’t want this town’s beloved and famous sweet bread, made by the one and only, world-renowned Chef Cat, then I guess I’ll have to eat it myself!” Bow smirked at her friend. Hattie gasped in horror before tackling her friend again in a fit of giggles. Bow squealed - she gave up a lot easier than (Y/N) did. Perhaps after all these years, they had built up a resistance to their little sister’s antics. 

“Ok, ok! Get off me and take your bread! It isn’t worth this!” Hattie complied and essentially tore into the woven basket Bow had set down. There it was: the golden brown masterpiece she had been waiting a month for, fluffy, soft, perfectly coated  _ just _ the right amount of cinnamon-sugar, and still warm. 

Ever so carefully, Hattie lifted it out of the basket as if it were the Holy Grail (more like the Holy Grain) and pressed it close to her chest in an attempt to convey the love she held for this bread through a weird, cinnamon-sugar coated hug. She beamed at Bow as her friend began laughing at her oddly touching display of appreciation for the treat.

The PERFECT snack for the adventure she had planned today.

“Oh! (Y/N) told me to give you something else, too!” 

Hattie looked at her friend, excitement lighting her eyes, before she saw the smug look Bow’s face wore.

“You might wanna put down the bread for this,” was the only warning Hattie received before her friend tackled  _ her _ (hah! Have a taste of your own medicine, Hattie!) and planted that big, wet, disgusting smooch on Hattie’s forehead. Bow couldn’t conceal her boisterous laugh as her friend struggled to free her arm and wipe the wet spot off her skin...and Hattie couldn’t help but join her. 

Bow released her prisoner (it’ll probably be a long time before she ever gets to do that again) and laid down next to Hattie, who was still using her sleeve to rub that spot on her skin clean. 

“Hey, speaking of your sibling,” Bow started, snorting at the wary look Hattie shot her, waving her hand to let her know there were no more kiss attacks scheduled for the day, “they told me you were going on an adventure today. Can I come?”

Hattie shot up, dragged Bow up to eye level, and nodded vigorously. She almost hit Bow a few times with her hat in the process. She grabbed her gear by the door and scooped the basket up with the hook of her umbrella, placing the bread in her bag and her well-loved hat on her head. She held her hand out to Bow, as if asking ‘are you ready to go?’

With a smile, Bow took her hand, and the two left Hattie’s home and set off into the unexplored forest that surrounded their town. 

____________________________________

With a sigh, you pulled your hand out of Boss’ (for what seemed like the 10th time since he dragged you to his restaurant). Your politeness ~~and need for this man to stay 50 feet away from your house and sister~~ had landed you in a booth with the man you wanted to avoid at all costs on any day that ended with a ‘y’.

Boss  _ insisted _ you spend your lunch with him and had almost dragged you to his home so he could wow you with his cooking. When you had declined his initial “offer,” he assumed you wanted to wow  _ him _ with your cooking and tried talking you into letting him into your house. 

You had no way of knowing if Hattie was there or not, and as much as you’d like to see her chasing him out of your house like a hunting dog would a rabbit, you didn’t want to mess up her routine for preparing for a trip. Plus, if she wasn’t there, you’d have to let this man into your house, which is something you promised you would do everything in your power to keep from happening. 

So, out of your want to not come off as a total jerk, you let him drag you to his restaurant, which sat at the highest point of town (you’d think it was because he liked looking down on the other townsfolk). 

“And this was just such a perfect location! From the view from my wonderful restaurant, you can look down on the other townsfolk living their measly lives of squalor.”

_ Go figure.  _ You let out a huff of laughter.  _ Of course he’d need help with something like that, given his height. _ You almost choked on your beverage trying to hide the snort that released you. You waved your hand as Boss stopped his rave about...himself to ensure that you were fine enough to continue listening to the rest of his tale (which...you’ve heard at least two dozen times by now but, who were you to stop the guy?).

Your mind blanked out as you watched him animatedly tell his story of how he came to your little town. Boss really wasn’t that bad looking - his facial hair was pretty cool and stylish. He was a decent cook. He had nice eyes. And his stature made him, like, the PERFECT hug size (if you ever wanted to give him one). The thing that really turned you off about him was his ego.

You swore Boss could lift the town from the land with how much hot air was filling his head. It was ridiculous how much he bragged about himself! The only other things he seemed to love with nearly half as much passion was his food and….

...you. Unfortunately. 

He had “honored” you and your parents when you had first arrived, about three years ago, and he was immediately taken with your looks and cheery disposition. Your lovely smile outshone the stars, and your eyes were so taking, it was hard to look away. He had told you it was unlike anything he’d witnessed while living there, and, admittedly, he charmed you at first. 

But you saw how he treated his goons. And the other townspeople. So rough and unnecessarily cruel that it’s no wonder that the other townspeople treat each other with such disdain and contempt...

You saw how he treated your sister.

Well, back then she was “that well-tailored street urchin” outsmarting Boss and his henchmen and giving them a run for their money at the young age of 5. 

At least now she was Hattie, well-tailored sister to yours truly. Still outsmarting Boss and his goons, but it’s easier when you’ve got a house and a sibling to look after you.

Wait, back to the present, what did he just say? Your eyes had watched his body move onto the table (and ultimately step on your subpar food), snap at a goon to bring him a bouquet of some really pretty flowers, and kneel before you. Your brain was still processing his actions.

His hands were extended, offering the bouquet towards you.

You forced yourself back into the present with an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry…..what was that?”

“Ah, speechless by my offer!” No, you weren’t, you literally just asked him to clarify….. “I admit, it must be a shock for a...rustic such as yourself,” Hey! Rude. “to be asked to the upcoming festival by the one and only man that rules this town.” He shoved the bouquet into your arms.

You nearly choked on your own spit and awkwardly coughed into your hand, trying to cover up your embarrassment, laughter, and how ticked you were for being called a rustic. It wasn’t your fault this man basically bought everything gold-plated. 

“Oh, uh, no, no, it isn’t uh, that, Boss.” You had to find a way out of here, like,  _ yesterday _ . His face was expectant. You took a deep breath and continued. “Look, uh, I’m really flattered and all, and this was a very sweet gesture...and pretty extreme to ask someone to a festival,” you coughed again to clear your throat. “But I’m...just not really interested in going, you know? I-I mean normally I’d go with Hattie, but she’s planning on going with Missy, Bow, and her parents, so I’m just planning on spending the night at home!” You finished with the sweetest smile you could and stood to leave, placing the bouquet on the table. You weren’t lying - you knew Hattie was capable of handling herself, and she’d have Missy and Bow with her, so she’d be fine!

You held your breath as you watched Boss’ face fall before lighting up again. “Well, that’s just perfect! Perhaps I could just visit you on the night of the festival and we c-”

“No! Uh, no, uh, thank you, Boss, though it is very nice of you to...offer, but I wouldn’t want to feel like a burden on such a wonderful night!” You sheepishly smiled at him as you began to make your way toward the door. “You should have fun with everyone else at the festival! I’ll just be doing, you know, boring old house chores, so, uh, you should go have fun! Plus, maybe you’ll meet someone really special there!” You prayed to whatever god existed that he would find someone really special there.

You saw him sigh deeply and caught the last bit of an eye roll before he forced his best charming smile on his face. “Very well, as you wish, my dear.”

“Please, Boss. Just (Y/N).”

“Fine. As you wish, (Y/N). Perhaps I’ll catch you next time you’re in town-”

  
He was cut short by the bell above the door ringing and the faint resonance of your voice saying something along the lines of,  _ “Yeahnomaybewe’llseebye!” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL I'm sorry this took a while, but hopefully you find it in your Snatcher-loving hearts to forgive me. AND don't worry...we'll be meeting him....very soon. I promise.


	5. The Great Wide Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are tears and important articles of clothing.

You arrived to an empty house - seems Hattie already left, which meant you got the whole house to yourself to do...chores. You took a deep breath as you set your groceries on the counter and rolled up your sleeves. Hattie always had a way of making mundane things like chores feel like an enthralling, heart-stopping adventure. You always loved the way she made things fun, even if it meant you had to clean up the mud tracks the chickens made every now and then (she’d release them in the house and said you had an dastardly  _ fowl _ army to command and help with chores. That kid…). 

You made a mental list of the chores you had to do today: groceries (check), sweep the house, mop the house, dust the house, feed the chickens, collect the eggs, essentially do a complete clean of Hattie’s room (she managed to mess it up a different time every week)...

You had a lot to do today.

* * *

After sufficiently cleaning the house (and subsequently dirtying your clothes), you flopped onto your living room couch with a deep sigh. You may be used to the work, but that didn’t mean it ever got easier. But now you were finished, and you could use this time to relax - dinner didn’t need to be started for another couple of hours, so you took this time to get out your book and pick up where you left off before you were so rudely interrupted by The God Among Men himself. 

You smiled to yourself as you brought the book into your lap, full intent on immersing yourself into the story and-

_ BANG! _

Your head shot up as Bow ran into the room, face flushed and hair a disheveled mess. The light from the windows reflected the wet tears that streamed down her face. Her hands were clenched firmly around a purple and yellow scarf, and you were almost scared that it would be torn in two by how tight she gripped it. You sprang to your feet at the sight and rushed over to her, meeting her halfway as she all but tripped over her feet trying to get to you. You quickly scooped her up and held her close as she sobbed.

“(Y/N)!” She hiccuped. “(Y/N), p-please you h-h-h-have to come! Quickly p-please! Please!” Bow dug her fingers into your arms and held tight to you as she sobbed onto your shoulder, her breathing rapid and unsteady. 

“Whoa, Bow!” You could barely understand a word she said. “Bow, I’m gonna need you to take deep breaths. I can’t understand you.” You placed her down and knelt in front of her. She rubbed at her eyes, looking down at the ground as she cried.

You gently tilted her head up and pulled her hand away. “It’s gonna be ok, ok? Can you breathe with me?” She hiccuped again and nodded as best she could without completely breaking down again. You placed your hands on her shoulders to help steady her and guided her through some deep breathing. It took a total of 5 minutes to get her to calm down completely - you hoped that whatever she came rushing in here for wasn’t an emergency.

“Feeling better?” A nod.

“Up for telling me what’s up?” Another nod, followed by a spring of tears to her eyes, a deep breath, and a nervous wring of the disturbingly familiar purple and yellow scarf she held in her hands.

“Hattie’s gone.”

* * *

Hattie had been planning this adventure for  _ months _ at this point. The forest by itself was kind of treacherous, but Hattie had explored it before and was used to its weirdness. She wasn’t going in to tread the same old paths she had before. No, this time what Hattie longed to investigate was what was rumored in the village to be the most dangerous entity for miles and miles…

The Abandoned Mansion of the Lost Prince.

Nobody in the village dared talk about it - the very thought of it seemed to be taboo among the villagers. Hattie had asked Cat about it once and was nearly thrown out of her shop! All Cat dared to say was that it definitely didn’t exist and Hattie definitely shouldn’t go there (which she found hard to reason if the place didn’t even exist) and Hattie should definitely never, ever,  _ ever _ mention it again.

That didn’t stop her from asking others about it.

Which didn’t stop others from quickly retreating from her when she did. 

Hattie would have visited the mansion sooner had it been easier to get any kind of information on it, which is why she’s forced to visit in the middle of winter. The village is rather nice in the winter: it doesn’t get terribly cold, and they hardly ever have snow, so the sun still keeps everyone warm throughout the day. The forest, however, was another story. It did whatever it pleased, and apparently what it currently pleased was nearly 4 feet of snow and a bitingly cold wind that tore right through Hattie and Bow as they ventured deep into the woods. 

It’s a good thing Hattie planned for this kind of thing. She and Bow wore matching scarves (her’s being purple with yellow stripes, and Bow’s being green and blue), coats, and gloves, which let them traipse through the woods, undeterred by the weather. 

It didn’t protect them from the other horrors the forest had, however.

They were halfway to the impermissible mansion when they heard the distant howl of a wolf.

They had hardly made progress when the howl sounded much closer…

And it kept getting closer….

And closer...and closer….until the only thought that had made itself home in the children’s minds was the most basic instinct humans had:

_ Run. _

Hattie firmly grasped Bow’s hand and pulled her towards their destination, their feet beating against the ground as the sounds of rough, padded paws with wicked claws pounding against the sow-laden ground grew louder and louder until it was almost unbearable. Their breath came in short, frantic huffs as the snarling of the predators drew closer. Bow cried out as the snap of teeth came too close for comfort and Hattie drew her umbrella with her free hand, just in case things got messy.  _ Just a little longer. Just a little more and we’re- _

There. 

She blinked a few times to confirm that what her eyes saw was true: an old, rusty gate, not terribly far away, almost camouflage by the thicket and trees surrounding it. Hattie let out a breathless laugh as adrenaline surged through her. Salvation was in sight! She tugged Bow closer and as they neared the gate, she shot her friend a look. They’d have to climb it, as there was a fairly heavy lock on it, and hopefully the wolves wouldn’t be able to get them if they jumped high enough onto it. 

They drew closer to the gate and the children used their momentum to clamber up high onto the gate, allowing themselves a moment of reprieve as they watched the wolves try (and fail) to jump to their height. Hattie and Bow sighed together and caught their breath as they climbed over the gate to the other side, jumping off and landing in the snow before the vicious teeth of the dogs caught their skin. They laid in the snow together, listening to the retreat of the wolves before looking at the other and sharing a smile.

“We made it.” Bow stated letting her eyes close for a moment before standing up and brushing herself off, Hattie following suit. It was nice to lay in the snow after all that running, but it was still freezing, and they couldn’t wait outside forever.

And the forbidden, long-awaited mansion was waiting right in front of them.

It probably wouldn’t be too terribly warm inside, but Hattie knew how to start a fire (you didn’t teach her, and it was still a mystery where she learned how to) and they could explore after a well-deserved rest. Hand-in-hand, the children walked towards the mansion, unaware of the two golden eyes that watched their every movement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness! 400 hits? Thank y'all so much!! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far. To make up for the delay, I've got two chapters for you! Enjoy!


	6. The Mansion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a mansion. And in the mansion there are new....friends?

Once inside, the girls shed their heavy, soaked winter wear and looked around. It seemed like the first floor of the mansion wasn’t very expansive; just a parlor that led into a kitchen and a living room, which luckily for them, had a fireplace. Hattie set about starting a fire and Bow hung up their wet clothes so they could dry faster. They sat by the fire to warm up and Hattie broke out the, miraculously still in one piece, sweet bread. Just as they were about to dig in, a group of unfamiliar voices sounded from the kitchen.

“Yer know the master’s rules!”

“I’m not about to let two soaked little children back out into the cold! Really, darling, that’s so heartless! Besides, the master doesn’t have to find out.”

“He probably already knows they’re here!”

“If he didn’t before, he does now, given your squawking.”

Bow and Hattie shared a confused look before setting down their snack and sneaking to the kitchen to spy on...whoever was talking. In the kitchen were two...birds? One was definitely a penguin (who styled a well kept afro and a...bedazzled tail coat?), while the other was…...yellow. And short. And it looked like he had feathers?

“I can’t believe that your time here has made you so cruel! You used to be...NOT so cruel!”

“Shut yer yap,  _ Grooves  _ \- I don’t enjoy the prospect of losing my head to the master’s wrath just because you lost yours over an argument.” 

“You know, it’s awfully rude to eavesdrop.” A third, different voice resonated behind them and both girls shrieked and tumbled into the kitchen, causing the birds in the kitchen to  _ also _ shriek and run into each other in a panic, and they collapsed to the floor next to the girls. 

Standing...er….floating above them was what appeared to be a ghost. Its clothes, which once looked to be elegant and rather expensive, were tattered and shredded. Its skin was blue, and its face had odd, red markings - almost like claw marks running from the bottom of its eyes and mouth to its jaw. Its eyes looked...broken.

It smiled an obviously out-of-practice smile at them, but it seemed like it attempted to be warm. The birds next to them sighed and relaxed.

“Oh, Moonjumper, it’s just you. Thank the stars.” The penguin sighed.

The yellow one, who was patting down his fluffed feathers, stood up with a huff. “Ye didn’t have to scare us like that. We weren’t doing anything bad.” He reached down and started tugging on the penguin to get him up.

“I didn’t mean to.” Moonjumper, apparently, offered a hand to both Hattie and Bow. They took it and were easily brought to their feet. “I didn’t mean to startle you two, either. It’s been a while since we’ve had visitors. I apologize for not being able to give you a proper welcome, and I’m sorry you had to stumble upon these two, first.” He narrowed his odd eyes to the two birds who sheepishly looked down.

“We were...just decided what to do with them,” The yellow one started. “I thought we should just throw them out, and as master of the household, I know you’ll agree with me, Moonjumper.”

“I think we should let them stay the night.” 

The yellow one gawked at the ghost and nearly pulled out his feathers as his companion let out a haughty laugh and a hushed  _ “I told you!” _

Moonjumped pulled Hattie and Bow aside, “Though I did just promise to let you stay the night, I think it's owed to us why two children are….trespassing.” His out-of-practice smile returned, obviously trying to appear amiable and friendly, though coming off as….menacing. 

Bow blinked in surprise and scratched the back of her head. “Oh, yeah. Sorry! We thought this place was...well, abandoned. We came to explore it and see if the rumors in our village were true.”

The ghost hummed in response before freezing and turning towards the entryway parlor. He quickly tried pushing the children back into the kitchen with the birds, hissing out a hushed “Hide. Now.”

The birds, understanding the Moonjumper’s sudden behavior was due to one thing, panicked and rushed into the parlor, leaving the girls to their own devices. Bow, deciding to heed the ghost’s advice, hid in a cabinet next to the stove, but Hattie….

Hattie couldn’t help her curiosity. She followed the birds out to the parlor, much to her friend’s chagrin. She peeked around the living room corner to see what the fuss was all about. Moonjumper was as rigid and professional as ever, even with the penguin and the yellow bird freaking out next to him. They stood in a line, facing the stairs and bowing their heads as a shadow emerged. 

**“Who dares disturb me while I’m reading? You should all know by now to be QUIET!”**

Hattie had to suppress a gasp as the shadow roared and swiped a clawed hand at the three, thankfully missing their heads by a few inches. The shadow moved into the parlor and towered above the three. Its golden eyes were swimming with anger and its glowing smile was fake and empty. 

“Why do you make such a ruckus, oh dear soulless servants?” The shadow’s tone was mocking, and the three tensed at his voice. “What is ever so important that you decided it was a good idea to make such a fuss? Hm?” 

Moonjumper was the first to look up. “Nothing, master. These two,” he shot a pointed look at the birds whose heads were still bowed and their muscles still stiff, “were just having another one of their famous arguments over what...dinner should be tonight.”

The ghost nudge the yellow one, whose head shot up. "R-right! Just us two, uh, bickering! That's! What we do!" The yellow one, in turn, nudged the penguin, who also stood up straight.

"Why, uh, yes! Y-you should have heard it master, you would have thought it was really funny. You see-"

The shadow cut him off with a cackle.

“AHAHAHAHAH! Oh, my stupid, WORTHLESS servants,” the shadow's head snapped to where Hattie was situated, its golden eyes boring into her frightened blue ones. She was frozen in place by its intense gaze and all she could do was whimper in fright. 

“You’ve always been terrible liars.”


	7. The Deal

The shadow all but slithered towards Hattie, who sat paralyzed by fear. Her blue eyes darted around quickly, looking for something, anything to help her leave this creature’s terrifying golden gaze. She needed to think of something quick so she could get Bow, get home, and leave this stupid nightmare of a mansion and this stupid frozen tundra to only haunt her in her sleep. She’d happily only visit this place in her dreams if it meant she could get home in one piece (and, more importantly, alive).

As she looked around the parlor, her eyes landed on the three...servants (?) from the kitchen. She felt her face grow hot and her eyes wet as they looked down at her with a near palpable sadness and regret. Moonjumper was the only one who could look her in the eye.

The monster grew closer, engulfing Hattie’s body in shadow and she felt an unfamiliar weight of despair and dread hang over her shoulders at the gleam of its yellow smile. She could practically feel the darkness encircling her, caging her, trapping her free and adventurous spirit. Hattie could feel the figure looming over her and forced herself to take a deep breath and, despite her fear...despite her shaking hands...despite the hot tears trailing down her cheeks and the nigh inescapable feeling of doom….Hattie tilted her head up and looked the monster in its (stupid) golden eyes.

It regarded her, for a moment or two, before throwing its head back and cackling, a loud, boisterous laugh that would have been contagious if not for the situation.

**“A-HAHAHA!”** its laughter boomed through the mansion before its stupid smiling face was directly in front of hers.  **“FOOL!”** Its voice was nearly enough to destroy her eardrums, and Hattie did her best to suppress a flinch.

**“You’ve really done it now, haven’t you? You’ve totally screwed yourself!”** It laughed again, its tone jovial, before turning serious.  **“Unfortunately for you, kid, you’ve stumbled into my mansion, and now I have no choice but to kill you!”** It winked at her **, “That’s the rules! I’d say sorry, but I am the one who made them!”** It laughed...again. Man, this thing was having too much fun with this.

Hattie was already tired of hearing its mocking laughter (honestly, she didn’t know how those three from earlier could stand it, poor things). She took another deep breath, felt its golden gaze pierce her soul, and stood up, looking the monster in the eye again. It scoffed,  **“Oh, no more cowering? You’re not even gonna give us a terrified whimper? Honestly, this is sort of a subpar performance, but I can’t say I admire your courage kid. Things like courage are kind of pointless when you’re six feet under!”**

* * *

Having heard the commotion and the strange new voice in the parlor, Bow decided to leave her hiding place and see what the peck could be making so much noise. The first instance of what sounded like laughter nearly shook her out of the cabinet she was hiding in! She cautiously peeked around the corner in the kitchen and stifled a gasp at seeing Hattie cornered, but standing defiantly, in front of a very,  _ very _ tall shadow monster. She had to think of a way to get Hattie out of there and quickly, hopefully a way out of there.

Bow’s presence went undetected by the monster towering over her friend, but the weird floaty guy (Moonjumper, right?) noticed and subtly motioned for the other two to stay where they were and not turn around.

A well-practiced motion, unlike his smile.

Bow wondered if they’ve done this before.

Moonjumper silently slid (guess stealth is a perk of floating) over to where she stood, still unnoticed by the shadow-creature. He took a quiet, deep breath and placed a gentle (if not unsure) hand on her shoulder and leaned in close.

“Listen,” he began, his voice, which already sounded like the wind had carried it far away, was soft and low. “I know how to...get you out of here. You need to follow my instructions  _ exactly _ . I know I can distract him...long enough for you to escape, but if you delay or hesitate in anything….” He looked down.

Bow looked up at him with frightened, yet questioning eyes. The man sighed softly before continuing, “...I can guarantee that what will ensue will not be...merciful…..or pleasant.”

Bow’s already wide eyes grew larger as she could feel tears forming. Her gaze was drawn back to her friend, who was shaking and allowing the tears to fall from her face, most likely unable to scrub them away under the paralyzing gaze of the shadow. Bow looked back to the man before her, her hands flying to her mouth to subdue the sobs that were threatening to escape her throat. The tears that pricked the corners of her eyes began to slowly flow over her cheeks and onto her hands as she forced her breathing to slow. The dawning look of understanding and sorrow that flashed over Moonjumper’s eyes was enough to answer her question. 

Hattie wouldn’t be escaping with her.

…

No.

Of course Hattie would be leaving with her! She had to. She  _ had  _ to! Bow wouldn’t accept a life without her best friend beside her, and she certainly wasn’t going to allow this creep of a shadow thing who hides in a mansion to rid her life of the single, most wonderful person she’s ever had the privilege of knowing.

With a silent huff and a furious wipe of her face to rid it of grieving tears that had to right to fall (because peck and gosh-it, Bow would not grieve her beloved friend when she had a chance to fix things), Bow set off towards the living room through the kitchen, her footsteps quiet and quick. She grabbed her and Hattie’s winter gear, which were now dry and warm, and made her way back to Moonjumper, stuffing herself in her jacket and scarf and stuffing Hattie’s scarf in her pocket to maintain its warmth. 

She looked up at the man with a determined glint in her eyes. “Tell me what to do.” she whispered. 

“What?” He whispered back. His mismatched eyes became frantic, pleading, “I-I can’t, there’s no way you’ll be able to-”

The look in Bow’s eyes was enough to silence his plea to get herself to safety. It seemed these kids weren’t ones to do things the easy way, weren’t ones to save their own skins and live selfishly for another day…

He supposes he could admire that quality. 

With another sigh, Moonjumper explained the way out through the cellar towards the front of the parlor…

* * *

Hattie was beginning to break.

Maintaining eye contact with something that didn’t need to blink was hard, and she found more tears falling from her eyes as her will and energy drained. But she had to keep focusing on this beast in front of her, and keep it focused on her.

Of course she noticed Bow peek around the corner of the door - her bright clothes were almost impossible to miss. Of course she’d seen the floaty guy go to her and it took every fiber of her being not to look at them directly, took every ounce of strength not to rush over to her friend when she felt the fear and despair emanating off her. Bow was her best-not-sibling-friend, she could practically feel the pain in Bow’s heart and her tears almost multiplied tenfold upon seeing her friend cry.

Hattie was almost certainly doomed.

But Bow could get out.

Yeah, it would suck, being dead without your best friend or your only family, but if Bow got to leave, then Hattie would consider it a win. She just had to keep this monster’s focus on her…

The monster...has been relatively quiet. It was still talking but it was more...muttering to itself. Hattie could barely catch snippets of what it was saying, but it seemed to be mulling over possible ways to kill her. It was a terrifying experience, having to listen to the ways a shadow beast could torture you, and Hattie held back tears as she shook with pure, unadulterated fear. The last thing she wanted was to let this thing see her cry anymore than it did. Hattie was a brave kid, and this monster didn’t deserve to see anything other than that!

**“Hmmm….”** mulled the shadow after a few short moments of silence.  **“What to do, what to do...perhaps it would be best to just eat your soul and throw your corpse into the cold. How does that sound?”**

The monster never got a response. Before Hattie could answer (the answer obviously being something so witty and clever that the monster would be so angry at her that all his energy would be focused on her and Bow could escape), the monster jolted forward with a sharp yelp of pain. It quickly turned around and saw Bow, in all her neon green glory, wielding Hattie’s umbrella and scarf. She stuck her tongue out at it before tossing the umbrella to Hattie with a hasty “Let’s go!” and a quick glance at Moonjumper, who stood (floated?) by the kitchen door, mouth open in shock and eyes wide in horror. 

“C’mon, Moonjumper!” Bow cried out to him to snap him out of his trance, and the beast’s gaze immediately fell upon him, his yellow smile twisting into an ugly scowl. 

**“So, Moonjumper, you’ve really forgotten what you signed up for? Already?”** It let out a mean bark of laughter.  **“Why, it’s only been 100 years! You can’t really have forgotten that your loyalty and service belongs to ME!”** The weight of its angry glare made the kind Moonjumper freeze, and any excuses or apologies that were to be made turned to a bitter taste in his mouth and he remained silent. 

Hattie, still pulling herself together and regaining her strength, made a feeble attempt at knocking the creature back while it was turned from her. If she could manage to just push it to the side, even just a little, she could run past it to Bow and they could leave! 

But Hattie was still weak from forcing herself to stand her ground, and as she pushed herself to move, her footfalls were loud and clumsy. The monster easily avoided her pathetic attempt at an attack and harshly grabbed her arm, shoved her to the ground, pulling a sad, painful cry from her. 

“Hattie!” Bow cried out, and moved to rush towards her but was stopped but the truly wicked yellow smile that was cast her way. 

**“Feisty lot of pests, aren’t you? Convincing my servant to betray me, attacking me with that stupid little stick, thinking it and your overwhelming desire for hope and for living another day would be enough to let you slip past me…HAH!”** Its laughter bellowed again as it looked at Hattie and cruelly tightened its grip on her arm.  **“I can’t say I don’t like your spunk, but what the hell did you really think you could do to me? You’re just a couple’a kids, after all, and I’d like nothing more than to squash you like bugs in my hands.”** Its smile grew as it looked towards Bow.

**“And I think I’ll start with you, little pest.”**

At his words, Hattie writhed violently under his arm, pounding the floor with her free hand.

“NO!” Her voice was hoarse from neglect and lack of use, and the shout that had rocked each person in the parlor had felt like one million daggers tearing down her throat, but she did what she had to to stop the stupid shadow monster. The shock from hearing such a shrill and guttural yell caused the beast to drop her and cover its nonexistent (at least non-visible) ears.

Hattie scrambled the stand up and stood in front of her friend, guarding her, despite the pain shooting down her arm. She blinked back tears as she glared at the creature as it lowered its clawed hands from the sides of its head.

Its expression turned curious and its smile turned cruel.  **“What, you wanna go first? HAH! Kid, your stupidity knows no bounds! It’s hilarious! I’ll tell you what - let’s make a deal.”** It held up a clawed hand as Hattie shook her head.  **“Listen, pest. I’ll spare the other little pest’s life...”** both Hattie and Bow’s heads shot up at this.

**“...IF you agree to sign a contract that basically dictates your soul as mine and declares you an eternal servant to yours truly!”** It chuckled again.  **“Pretty sweet deal, right? You get to live forever! I can’t say that your friend would get to enjoy such a luxury if you don’t agree, though…”**

With a sweep of its arm, an old fashioned quill and scroll of paper appeared before the girls. Hattie’s eyes flitted over to her friend, who hung anxiously over her shoulder, scanning the document. Hattie could practically see the gears turning in her head, thinking of a way to get them out of this….but to Hattie…

The choice seemed pretty clear.

She grabbed the quill. It felt heavy, which kept her hand sturdy as she signed the contract, even as Bow was screaming and sobbing in her ear, trying to pull her away from the magic paper.

But in the end, her name rested on the dotted line, and she suddenly felt as heavy as the quill she dropped in exhaustion. Bow was shaking her shoulders and sobbing, crying out her names and pleas of leaving with her. Her hands were shaking as she yanked Hattie’s scarf out of her pocket and tried handing it to her, trying to convince her to  _ come home, Y/N is waiting, the festival is coming up, and we’ve still got to egg Boss’ house a-and-- _

But Hattie smiled, a sad, heavy smile, and pushed Bow’s hands back, along with the scarf. The look in her watery eyes told her to  _ keep it. As a memory of me. For Y/N. _

Hattie’s smile fell when Bow was gently escorted out by the two birds from earlier, her sobs eventually fading into a foreboding and deafening silence…

...before that stupid jerk of a beast had to ruin it.  **“That settles it! Welcome to your new home, kiddo! Don’t get used to the pleasantries from me. Fellas,”** it turned to the birds who just returned from the cold outside, obviously saddened by the situation, though they looked up at the monster, regardless.  **“Show her the ropes. You should know the drill by now. Moonjumper.”** It turned to the man in question, whose eyes looked as exceedingly empty as Hattie felt.  **“Let’s have a chat.”**

They left Hattie and the two birds with a heavy slam of the doors leading up to a set of stairs. A long, laden sigh left the beak of the yellow bird. 

“Ye heard ‘im, lassie.” A hand found itself rubbing soothing circles on her back. “Welcome home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A month! I am! So sorry! Thank you all for your patience, and thank you for so many hits! I appreciate y'all and hopefully I won't take so long uploading next time.


	8. The Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which theres a lot of tears, a lot of snow, and a lot of trouble. Reader finally sets off towards the mansion themselves! If only the weather didn't suck so much.

_ “Hattie’s gone.” _

The words kept echoing, ringing in your ears. Your eyes misted.

_ “That monster in the mansion took her.” _

Your ears and neck burned with anger at Bow’s words as the tears paved their way down your face. 

Your breathing quickened as Bow told the tale of the mansion in the woods and your anger rose every minute. The mansion. The mansion, of  _ course _ Hattie went to the mansion. She didn't tell you she went to the mansion because you trusted her on her adventures to stay safe, and of course she goes to the  _ one _ place you asked her never to adventure after you heard the horrible rumors that surrounded it from the villagers. The one place that, once mentioned, would have merchants shooing you away and parents covering their children’s ears. Even though nobody in your little town ever actually told you about it, you learned it was bad news.

You had assumed Hattie had learned the same, considering she had been there every time you asked about it. You assumed she had learned it was dangerous when she asked to explore it a couple years back and you nearly burst into tears while lecturing her about her safety. 

You had said she was too young to go galavanting in such a dangerous place. She must have thought that, since she was older, she was safe to explore it now.

And now she’s-

_ “Gone.” _

Your cry of despair rang throughout the house as your strong facade failed you and you broke down on the floor. Bow, whose own tears were still fresh and visible, quickly dropped to the ground next to you, as you had done for her. She held you as best as she could while you were doubled over yourself, rubbing your back, and sharing your sorrow as she cried with you.

You sat on the floor for the better part of the hour, letting out all your grief and frustration and anger out. Bow, bless her empathetic and caring little soul, had managed to quell her small cries and hiccups long enough to bring you both some blankets (the floor was pretty cold) and some warm tea, to rehydrate you after you both had cried for so long. She settled next to you, leaning on your arm as her sniffles tapered off into normal breathing and her puffy eyes lost most of the puff. You soothingly ran your hand through her hair as your own breathing became normal as well. With a sigh, you thought about the current predicament. 

Hattie’s gone. 

Hattie’s gone, she’s gone, and she can’t come back.

Not from such a horrible place.

Not on her own. 

“Bow,” you started, voice raspy and hoarse, and Bow jumped a little despite your hushed tone. “Listen to me. I’m...I need to go after her.” Bow’s eyes widened and she sat up straight to look at you, new tears forming. She opened her mouth as if to protest, but you shook your head to silence her.

“Bow, I know she’s your best friend, but...she’s my little sister. It’s my job to look after her, and I...I-I failed her.” Your eyes began to wet again as your voice shook. “I need to keep her safe a-and I couldn’t d-do that, so now I have to make sure she gets back.”

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath to steel your resolve. Bow took the opportunity to climb into your lap and tenderly wipe your tears away. The sweet gesture made you smile. She’d be a good big sister if her parents decided to have another kid. Unlike you, who let your little sister wander into the middle of the woods and get snatched up by some no-good, despicable, vile creature who could be doing who knows what to her and her last thoughts could very well be that you just sat by and let this happen--

You took another deep breath and opened your eyes. Now’s not the time or place for self-depreciating mind commentary. Once you get Hattie back, you’ll both be yelling at each other about the unfortunate situation and whose fault it was, etc., etc., which will definitely suck. But you’ll have your little sister back.

Firstly, however, you have to  _ get _ your little sister back. Your focus drifted back to Bow, who was snuggled safely in your arms. You gently ran your fingers through her hair again.

“Sweetie, is it ok if I ask you about the mansion? I’d like to be as prepared as possible going in.” 

Bow took a deep breath herself and nodded up at you.

* * *

Each second you trudged through this stupid winter wasteland, your mind came up with new things to add to the list of what to scold Hattie about. Number one: going out to the mansion in general. Number two: going to the mansion without telling her sole guardian and caretaker. Number three: going out to the mansion in the middle of this stupid magic forest’s WINTER while there were ACTIVE SNOWSTORMS. 

While a part of you said that being held captive in the mansion was probably a good lesson in of itself for Hattie, the other part said that you didn’t teach it to her and this was a SUPER dangerous thing to do. In acting as her big sibling and guardian, not only was it your duty to keep her from danger, but it was also your responsibility to reprimand her - in a healthy way - about the bad decisions she made with the liberty she has.

Given that you already failed the first job as her big sibling, you’d have to make up for it twofold in the second. Plus, it was a good way to get your mind off the impending sense of doom and constant anxiety that weighed down on you...like the maybe-too-many warm layers of clothing you had on - better safe than sorry in this stupid tundra. 

Bow had told you the way to the mansion, and, to your horror, had cautioned you about the wolves that had hunted Bow and Hattie. 

You had made a mental note to talk with her parents about getting the girls some good therapy after this is all done.

After about an hour of miserable walking, you saw the gates Bow described. They were only a short distance away, and you quickly hobbled over. Upon examination of the gates, you let out a frustrated groan.

Bow failed to mention that the gates were kept shut by a couple dozen chains and a padlock, though you really shouldn’t be surprised that the gate was secured.

With a sigh, you began your climb. It was hard enough to grip the metal of the gates through thick gloves, even harder pulling up you AND your heavy winter gear, all while trusting that your boots wouldn’t give way to the slip of the ice beneath them. Finally, after a solid ten minutes, you found yourself swinging a leg over the top and slowly began your descent, testing your luck after an already arduous climb. 

You really shouldn’t have tested your luck like that. 

You supposed it was lucky that you were wearing so many thick winter layers, otherwise the impact from your decidedly ungraceful fall would have hurt a lot more than it did. Your body only ached slightly as you forced yourself to your feet, which you were thankful for, and brushed off the snow with such harsh movements, a bystander might think it did you harm in some way. 

Unfortunately, the snow sticking to your clothes was the least of your concerns right now. 

Ahead of you sat the mansion that so many had warned about in hushed whispers, scornful glares, and rumors that many believed were just to scare children in your little town into behaving, and you’re certain those kids would be model citizens if they were forced to see the real deal. 

The dark walls of the mansion stood out against the harsh white of the snow, and the structure itself looked twisted and decrepit, though suitable enough to brave the elements. 

Take a deep breath. Count to ten. What’s in there might be horrible enough to threaten two children, but it _could not possibly_ _be prepared_ to face you and the fathomless rage that warmed your body in the cold, the anger and animosity that you held that kept you trekking to the mansion. You had a mission. 

You made your way to the front door. Element of surprise and stealth be damned - You’re here to rescue your little sister. 

You failed to notice the two yellow orbs in the highest window of the mansion as you made your way in. 

The inside was… dark and surprisingly warm, contrary to Bow’s description, but you didn’t feel the need to shed your heavy clothes. You’d need them as soon as you got a hold of Hattie and got the peck out of dodge. 

You steeled your nerves as you all but slammed the front door closed behind you. 

“Hello?” You called out. You knew it wasn’t the wisest move but...it was all you could really do besides begin your search for Hattie. “Is anyone there? I’m...here for my sister.” 

You wandered around the expansive room, your eyes still adjusting from the white of the snow outside to the dim light of the parlor. A few rooms led off from the parlor and you peeked in each one, finding a living room with a piano, and a kitchen but...no one was around. You called out again.

“I know she’s here. I know there’s people here! Show yourselves and let’s get this over with!”

Unsatisfied with having no response, you crept towards the largest and farthest doorway in the parlor - it had a set of wide, double doors, and upon opening them, you found that it led to a stairway. However, you wouldn’t be able to discover where the stairway led, as an arm wrapped around your waist and a hand covered your mouth. In shock, you thrashed and did your best to scream profanities at whoever the peck was holding you, but the hand kept you silenced (good thing too - you’d be embarrassed if Hattie was near and heard you talk like that). 

“Please, hush.” A calm, low, and presumably male, voice pleaded in your ear. “I’m here to help but you need to be quiet. Can you be quiet?” 

Though you wanted to bite his hand and loudly proclaim that,  _ no, you wouldn’t be quiet, you’re in this creepy old mansion to get your sister, and you wouldn’t comply if this man talked to you like a child,  _ you figured the only way to safely get out of this was to agree to be silent. You nodded and heard a sigh of relief from the man as he freed you from his hold. He moved to your side and allowed you to get a good look at him. The first thing you noticed is that he was floating, his skin was a pale blue (from the cold? That can’t be healthy…), and his clothes were tattered. Red lines seemed to be carved into his face and his eyes, which were also red, were mismatched and...sad? Wait, Bow told you about this man, this must be-

“Moonjumper?” you asked, ensuring your voice was now hushed. “Are you Moonjumper?”

The man seemed taken aback but smiled, somewhat broken, but you could see he did his best to seem warm and welcoming. 

“Yes, that would be me. I’m...assuming our...most recent...prisoner,” you both flinched when he said that, because you both knew that was the truth, “is your sister? I heard you calling out when you entered.” You nodded in response. “You’re lucky our master didn’t seem to hear it. That was...awfully foolish of you.” 

Your face heated in an embarrassed and angry flush, but didn’t deny his words. “Yeah, I, uh, didn’t really come here with a plan. I just wanted to...uh...beat up your master? And obviously get my sister back.”

Moonjumper’s face cracked a tiny smile at your words. “I think we’d all like to see that, but I’m certain you wouldn’t fair as well as you’d hope to, despite your...um...spunk. You and your sister seem to share that quality.” His smile disappeared. “I imagine it would get you in the same trouble it got her.”

Your heart dropped and your eyes went wide. “Is she ok? Where is she?” You desperately grabbed the lapels of his coat. “Please, please, let me see her. I have to get her home.” 

Moonjumper knew you wouldn’t be able to do that, but decided that letting you see your sister wouldn’t hurt before he broke the horrible news to you. 

With a heavy sigh, he floated towards a set of doors towards the entrance that you hadn’t noticed. He waved you forward, and you felt your heart beat faster as you followed him into the dark basement of the mansion.


	9. The Second Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the reader saves their sister for a price

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get yourself a man who always shows up at the exactly the wrong time and makes it his mission to ruin moments!

What sort of horrible monster made this kind of filth? More importantly, what kind of horrible monster made a  _ child _ live in it?

The basement was flooded with a disgustingly grey liquid that reached a few inches below your knees. Poor Hattie was probably waist deep in this stuff, assuming she hadn’t already drowned in it.

You shook away the bad thoughts as you and your escort travelled deeper into the basement.  _ You can’t be thinking like that. You have to have hope! _

The deep sigh that escaped you must have been noticed by your companion. “I, uh...apologize..for the state of the basement. It was the Master’s orders to keep it this way in order to keep...newcomers...in line.” Easy for him to say - he was floating above the disgusting water! At least he had the decency to sound sorry and offer an apologetic smile; one that seemed near hopeful for your escape with Hattie. 

Even if said escape wasn’t realistic.

Moonjumper didn’t want to add to your obviously heavy and stressful load by telling you that Hattie wouldn’t be able to leave. He wanted to give you as much time as you could with her before the inevitable. He may have been locked in this mansion for over 100 years with that monster, but that didn’t make  _ him _ one. And despite himself, Moonjumper did assume some responsibility for Hattie's fate. He had tried to get the kids out of there, really, it’s just…

The master was a very terrifying man to be around, much more to stand up to. 

Staring into his master’s eyes...feeling the pure hatred that radiated off him.... he found his mind as frozen as his body would be if he were cast out into the everlasting snowstorm. 

After allowing what transpired to happen…

Giving Hattie her big sibling back, even if for a short amount of time, was the least he could do (without being horribly tortured, that is).

You did your best to smile back at his words as the water became substantially thicker than it was at the entrance. You suppressed a shudder at the feeling of semi-liquid waste pulling at your clothes, weighing you down as if the four layers of winter clothing weren’t enough. 

As soon as the sludge had made its way through the fabric of your pants and onto your skin, you decided you were going to burn these clothes as soon as you got home. Rid you of any reminders of this whole ordeal, and live a nice, clean, happy life.

You shrieked as your next step dropped you 2 inches deeper than you were expecting and the floating man next to you flinched, quick to sharply turn towards you and cover you mouth. Again. His eyes were wide with panic, and his hand covered your mouth even after you stopped screaming. 

“You must keep quiet.” He hissed as he released you and you started walking again.

“Why? We’re in the basement!” You hissed back. “I doubt your master can even hear us!”

Before Moonjumper could respond, a splashing sound was heard close by, causing you and your companion to freeze. You began to slowly back up behind Moonjumper, ready to hightail it out of the waste if need be. A shadowy figure began emerging around the corner of a stone pillar, and you were prepared to let out another scream of fear…

Until a purple hat came into view. A soggy, kind-of-worn-down purple hat. It had lost the vibrance and life it once had, but it was a familiar purple hat all the same. Under the brim was brown hair that was only slightly dirty and unkempt, with hairs that poked out of a ponytail like worn, used bristles on a broom. The blue eyes that rested under the brim grew teary at the sight of you. Dirty, sludge-covered you, whose eyes began to tear as well, and whose hasty movements towards the figure nearly had you falling face first into the grimy, thick water. The sounds of wet cloth hitting wet cloth were drowned out by your happy sobs as you embraced your sister like a long lost treasure. 

“You’re okay! Oh peck, I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’re safe. Oh, Hattie,” You gently took off her hat and ran your fingers through her bangs. “You have no idea how much trouble you’re in.” 

All she did was smile up at you and hug you tighter, and you smiled back and replaced her hat - you’ll have to fix it when you get home. 

_ When _ you get home. 

“We’re going home, now, okay?” At this, Hattie froze and looked up at you with teary eyes. Those...weren’t ‘my sibling is here to rescue me’ tears. Those were...sad tears. Those were tears laden with an inexpressible heartache, and you felt your own heart drop at the sight of them. “H...Hattie? Wh-what’s-?” She buried her head into your stomach and held you tight as you shot a questioning look to your ghostly friend, whose eyes were downcast and saddened, as well. 

“What’s going on.” He didn’t look up, but flinched as he heard your voice crack. “Moonjumper, what’s going on? She’s coming home. Right?” Your voice became thick with realization. “Moonjumper, answer me. Please.”

A somber sigh fell from his lips as he met your eyes. His arms felt numb and weak and he had to tell you. “My dear...she can’t leave. Her soul is...bound to the mansion, and to my master. He has taken it from her as payment for letting her friend go.”

Bow had given you a very simplified version of that before you left, but you had assumed that Hattie’s soul was still in her body, just being held with her body in this ridiculous prison-mansion. “So...so what?” Your face grew flush with anger, you were not going to leave empty handed, Hattie had a full life to live and you’d be damned if you stood by and let it get thrown away because some creep decided it was okay to pick on children. 

“So,” he began, floating over to the pair of you and resting a hand on the back of Hattie’s head. “if she leaves the mansion without her soul-”

**“She’ll die,”** You jumped at the sound of the new voice and held Hattie even closer to you than before. Your head whipped around the dim-lighted room, trying to spot whoever was speaking. By the way Moonjumper shook next to you, however, gave you a sneaky suspicion of who it was.  **“And she’ll be trapped her** **_way_ ** **long after I’m gone, which’ll be in...oh, I don’t know, a couple millennia?”** The voice laughed a cruel laugh that left your ears ringing.  **“Our** **_pal_ ** **Moonjumper learned that the hard way.”**

“W-who are you?” You had managed to get the fear that wracked your body with a horrible tremble under control. Control which, as a set of yellow eyes gleamed at you from the darkness and outlined a rather large and formidable form, quickly flew out the window. “Show yourself!”

The figure seemed to hesitate for a moment before chuckling lowly. Into the dim light from the darkness of the entrance of the basement emerged a very _very_ tall shadow. You took a few steps back so you didn’t have to crane your neck to see its face, which consisted only of those oddly yellow eyes and a vacant, cold smile, whose fangs blended in with the rest of him.

Moonjumper’s shaking had stopped as he completely froze in fear.

This had to be the-

**“I am the master of this mansion. No need for full introductions; I don’t really care who you are. What I** **_do_ ** **care about is the fact that you’re trespassing! Just like the little brat behind you did.”**

You flinched at his tone but your blood boiled in anger as you took a step towards him. “I’ve come for my sister. Please, let her go, she’s just a kid!”

**“Then she shouldn’t have trespassed here. And now, she’s my prisoner, just like all the other servants in the mansion.”** Holy hell, how many people’s souls has he stolen?  **“I’d invite you to join her in her eternal suffering, but it would be much more fun to send you home, with you knowing that your pathetic little rescue attempt only amounted to more gruelling work for you little sister to do.”** He cackled his mean laugh again and you wanted nothing more than to push his stupid face into the gross water.

“Why? Why can’t you let her leave? She has a life to live!” You took another step towards him, your grip on Hattie’s hand firm and unyielding. “She’s a child!” 

**“She can’t leave because then I’d be down a servant!”** He scoffed, as if it were obvious.  **“Plus, she signed her soul away on one of my contracts, and she’s not getting that back anytime soon.”**

“That  _ can’t _ be legally binding. Again, she’s a kid!”

**“And again, I DON’T CARE!”** His already annoying voice resonated throughout the basement.  **“And unless you’re willing to take her place and sign your soul away, I’m throwing you back out into the cold to suffer a life without your** **_beloved little sister.”_ **

He had said it with such finality that it seemed like the end of the argument, but as the monster drew near to catch your warm, living body in his cold, dead claws, he was stopped by your cry of “Wait!” and he sighed as he looked down at you.

**“What is it, you little fink?”**

“What if I was willing to take her place?”

A deathly silence filled the room as the tension grew unbearable. Both Moonjumper and Hattie were frozen, looking between you and the master of the mansion with wide eyes. Hattie clung to your dirty clothes tighter, a silent plea to leave, as the monster had ordered. 

The deafening silence was broken by the master’s booming laughter again. **“You! You’d be willing to-to--HAH!”** His laughter died down as he met your eyes, cold and steely with resolve. **“You would...take her place? Exchange your** ** _soul_** **for your** ** _sister?”_** His voice, though still incredibly condescending, had grown softer. Unbelieving. Intrigued. 

“Without a second thought,” was your only reply. It was the only thing you could manage to get out without risking breaking down in front of this monster. You glared at him with a determined glint in your eyes for a few moments of silence.

**“HAH! I guess foolishness runs in the family.”** With a sweep of his hand, a glowing scroll and quill appeared beside him.  **“Though I suppose I can’t complain, seeing as I gave you the choice. Go ahead, little fink, sign your soul away.”**

You gulped and bit back a sob as you pried you and your wet clothes out of Hattie’s grip and trudged forward towards the shadow. He watched as you read through all the fine print. He almost found it endearing how you whispered the words out loud as you read them, despite the shakiness of your breath. You only seemed satisfied with the deal when you reached the last line of the contract, which read ‘By signing this, I legally release my sister from her spiritual debt with the master of the mansion, The Snatcher’.

You grabbed the quill, which sank like lead in your hand, and you turned to look at Hattie for what would probably be the last time for...forever. You gave her a watery smile 

“I love you, Hattie. Be good. Take care of Bow, okay?”

You couldn’t bear to look at her as her broken voice echoed through the room as she cried out your name, as her sobs rang out and made your heart plummet. You couldn’t stand to look her in the eye when they were clouded with tears; couldn’t stand to watch as she did her best to run towards you, only to be held back by the gentle hand of Moonjumper. 

You couldn’t look at her as you signed your soul away.

Hattie felt her heart break as the scroll vanished from sight. The words that danced around her ears were muffled, she could barely make out the words  **“Moonjumper, take care of her,”** she could barely process what had happened before Moonjumper’s gentle hands were wrapping her in a long, warm cloak and setting her out in the cold. He shut the door behind him but she ran up, pounding on the door, demanding without words to be let in, before she suddenly felt warm and full as her soul reconnected with its host. The temporary warmth of joining with her soul was not enough to keep her safe from the chill of the icy wind or the sting of aching heartbreak and as much as she wanted to stay and demand the safety of her older sibling, she knew her fighting was futile and it would only result in her freezing to death on the porch of this stupid mansion.

With a heavy heart, Hattie made her way back to her home without the comfort of her sibling.

And with a heavy heart, you watched her go.

Your moment was interrupted by that beast. Or, more accurately, your new boss from Hell. 

**“Well, I hate to intrude on your brooding.”** You knew he was lying,  **“But I believe it’s time to get things settled with you. This’ll hurt, but only if you move.”** Before you could ask him to clarify, you felt an overwhelming sensation of  _ something _ tugging somewhere close to your heart and, for a second, you couldn’t breathe, it felt like your lungs were being crushed and your heart had stopped and-

And suddenly you just felt…

Exceedingly empty.

**“Welcome to the house, newbie.”** As you looked up at the monster who trapped you here, you found him cradling a small, light purple ball of flames. Oh god. Oh god was that-

**“Your soul belongs to me now, so now you work for me, got it? You’ll address me as Master or Master Snatcher. Moonjumper will show you around. You get the rest of the night to make yourself as uncomfortable as possible. Welcome home, newbie!”**

You saw your soul flicker pathetically before it vanished into the shadows with Snatcher. You had never been without your soul before, and you swayed, almost lifelessly, in one spot, black dotting the corners of your vision before you finally gave into your exhaustion. The last thing you remember was the sensation of weightlessness before leaving the realm of consciousness of drifting off into a dreamless sleep.


	10. Some Meetings, Some Mirth, and Some More-Than-Awkward-Interactions-With-Your-Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tour lets you and Moonjumper open up to each other (just a little bit) and you get to meet some other members of the household before a certain shadow ruins your day even more.

You awoke to a knocking too sharp and loud for your sister’s little hands and a groan left your lips as your mind drifted to who the suspect of your rude awakening could possibly be. The back of your head was already throbbing with a dull pain - probably a migraine.  _ If Boss really thinks he can come  _ to your house _ at  _ **however early in the morning** _ and ask you to accompany him to the festival- _

Your thoughts ran short as you opened your eyes to a ceiling (that was not your own), hanging above a bed (that was not your own), in a poorly lit and decidedly dreary room (that was definitely not your own). 

The sleepiness in your eyes was replaced by a striking confusion and fear of where you were and your eyes scanned the room for any sign of familiarity, the knocking growing louder and sharper until it became nearly unbearable. A coldness crept up your spine and over your shoulders before settling over your heart, pulling it down as you remembered the events of yesterday.

The woods. The mansion. The servant, the basement, your sister…

Your soul, flickering in a nonexistent breeze, as if reaching out to you before being swallowed by the shadows of The Master.

The Master.

That must be him at the door, waking you up to your new life in this frozen hell. That smarmy, smug bastard would probably be more than thrilled to torture you by waking you up at the ass crack of dawn (you tried looking out the window to confirm that it was, indeed, an unholy hour of the morning, but the relentless blizzard outside blocked out the sun and, subsequently, you ability to tell what time it was). 

The knocking resumed, and left you with little choice but to storm over to the door and yank it open, fully intent on giving your new boss a piece of your mind.

“What do you want, you pretentious, overbearing, sh-” 

You effectively choked on your words as the large, shadowy figure you were  _ expecting _ to see actually turned out to be the friendly, if not standoffish, ghostly servant that had led you to your sister, who looked taken aback by your sudden appearance and outburst. You cleared your throat sheepishly and he offered you a patient smile.

“Oh! Uh. Sorry, um...good morning? Moonjumper, right?”

He nodded in response. “Good morning, Y/N. Sorry for...disrupting your sleep.” His tone made you self conscious of your probable bedhead. You smoothed it out as best you could as your face heated with embarrassment. “But the Master has already provided me with a list of your duties, and given your...fainting spell last night,” So that’s what happened. No wonder the back of your head hurt. “...you haven’t been given a proper tour of the mansion, and it...wouldn’t be...right...to expect you to adjust to your...new life without allowing you to become familiar with the mansion.” His crooked, unused smile was gentle and understanding.

You wonder if he had anyone like himself when he came here.

You returned the smile. “Thank you, Moonjumper. I really appreciate that.” 

He bowed his head and floated backwards to give you more space to step out into the hall. “The quicker the tour is done, the quicker we can get onto our...separate duties. The Master doesn’t like to be kept waiting, and…” he sighed. “You’ve...witnessed first-hand his...lack of restraint when it comes to...unfavorable outbursts.”

You have, and you understand the point your new companion is trying to make. 

“I would hate to see you have to endure such behavior on your first day,” he continued with a sympathetic gaze.

“Shall we begin?” You nodded in return and stepped out into the hall beside him. 

It was easy to see Moonjumper’s lack of confidence when it came to anything social between you two. He stood (floated? existed??) rigidly since the moment you stepped into the hall and began your tour. The air that hung around you was thick with tension and cold. 

You made many attempts to lighten the atmosphere by commenting on the interior of the mansion (“What style of architecture is this?”, “How old is this place, anyway?”, “Is that an actual frozen person?”, etc., etc), but your companion didn’t respond in any way that would allow you to keep up the conversation without completely draining yourself. His answers were stiff and to the point (“Early Baroque.”, “Old enough.”, “Yes.”) and left you with more questions than answers. 

During another long period of daunting, heavy silence, you looked over to your fellow servant. “Hey, Moonjumper.” 

Your companion turned his head to look at you with a harsh gaze that you’re sure he didn’t mean to wear, but that didn’t stop you from shuddering under its intensity. “Um...you okay? You’ve been super quiet since we left my room...like, scary quiet. Is...everything alright?” You wanted to laugh at your choice of words because obviously everything was not alright as long as you were trapped in this mansion, but you really couldn’t think of anything else to say that would be comforting.

His gaze softened and he stood straighter (if such a thing were possible). “Oh! I’m...sorry about that. I’ve just...it’s been so long since we’ve had someone new here.”

“Hattie was just here.”

He froze at the mention of your sister. “Y-yes, well, your sister...wasn’t much for conversation either. She even refused a tour on her first day, despite my insistence...which led to her falling behind on her duties, which led to...the Master,” he didn’t need to elaborate, “which led to where she was when...you came.” His voice was...almost sorrowful. “I...wanted to...attempt to amend my short-comings with her and...ensure that  _ you _ would fare better on your first day. You’ve...been through so much. In such a short time, too.”

He hung his head and refused to look at you. You felt your heartstrings being pulled by his words. His tone was like that of a guardian who had lost the person they were supposed to protect. In a way, you suppose that’s what he’s become, given how gently he spoke of Hattie. While he had no reason to give a damn about the sometimes-reckless child that had wandered into his life, you could sense he did care for her, in the short amount of time she was here. 

Your lips lifted into a small smile. “I appreciate that, Moonjumper. Thank you - that’s pretty thoughtful.” His head rose a little at your words and his downcast eyes flicked up to meet yours. Your smile grew and you playfully nudged his side with your elbow and he jumped in surprise at the contact, facing you fully. “But you oughta know: I’m not as fragile as you think I am.” You shot him a playful wink and nudged him again.

He smiled, chuckling, and you responded in kind. “I never thought you fragile. None of us here do. We all agree what you did was very brave...admirable, even. Why, if I had the nerve to do what you had done…” His smile fell a little. “Truthfully, my dear, you’ve ignited a long lost inspiration in us.” He smiled fully this time and it felt...less broken than before. “We can never thank you enough for that.”

You blushed at the praise and smiled at him. “I’m...glad to hear that, Moonjumper. Thank you.”

The remainder of your tour came and went uneventfully, but you were glad you were able to get Moonjumper to open up a little. He was even cracking a few jokes when you found yourself in the kitchen, the only room you hadn’t seen yet. Granted, they weren’t very good jokes, and none of them really landed (he admitted his sense of humor may have been dulled over the years), but you laughed at them all anyway to encourage him. The way he told his jokes was funnier than the actual jokes themselves.

An indignant  _ SQUAWK _ from the other side of the kitchen made you nearly jump out of your skin and you whipped around to face whatever the peck made that grating noise. Standing at a solid four feet, bold against the faded purple of the kitchen walls stood a...yellow...thing? Bird? He did squawk, but that didn’t make him a bird, right? But it looked like he had feathers? And he had a beak, from what you could tell by the way his mouth moved. Oh. His mouth is moving. That means he was talking. 

You snapped yourself out of the stupor you were in to pull yourself back to the present, where this bird-thing was talking to you. You had zoned out so bad wondering what he was that you missed half the stuff he was saying.

“...‘n yer bring in the newest resident to me humble work station, when I haven’t had the time to make meself look proper because some blasted PECK NECK,” the insult seemed directed towards the living room area, “left ME to do HIS WORK because he had some ‘oh so important other stuff to do,’ as if that blasted piano needs any more polishing-”

Before he could continue its angry (but admittedly kind of cute) rant you rushed over and stuck out your hand. 

“Hey! Uh, sorry we didn’t get to meet before. Yesterday was…” you sighed, “eventful. I’m Y/N! I’m new here.” Duh. Of course you were new here. “Today’s my first day. Moonjumper was just showing me around.”

He shut his beak long enough to look at your hand before grasping it and giving you a firm, eager handshake, laughing.

“Aye, I know who  _ you _ are, m’dear. We all do. Moonjumper told us about what happened yesterday.” It frowned a bit. “Sorry we couldn’t meet under better circumstances.” He shook his head and let a smile worm its way onto its face. “Y’can call me the Conductor, ‘n I’m in charge of everything that enters this kitchen.”

Your head tilted in confusion, but before you could ask about his name, he cut you off with another bark of laughter. “Ah! Y’should see yer face. Priceless.” He hopped up on a counter and took a seat. “It’s a long story, so I’ll spare y’the dirty details, but essentially I kind of...uh...signed me name away when I came here, ‘n I’m only called the Conductor ‘cause I’m the only one in this blasted mansion who knows their way around an engine or a gas stove.”

“Ah,” you nodded and smiled, “which is why  _ you’re _ the one on kitchen duty.”

“Aha, ‘n yer smart, too. I knew I liked ya from the moment Moonjumper told us about yer.” He laughed good naturedly, and you were left with no choice but to join in. As you thought of his words, however, your laughter faded.

“By the way, who is this ‘us’ you keep saying? Is there someone besides you and Moonjumper?” You also wanted to tack on a ‘ _ And the smarmy ghost who kept you all trapped here _ ’, but thought it best to keep that bit to yourself. 

“Ah, right. Where are me manners?” Even though you couldn’t see his eyes, you could tell he was rolling them. Moonjumper let out an amused puff of air at your new comrade’s antics. “I’ll introduce y’t’Grooves, but I’ll warn y’now t’keep your expectations low.” The Conductor jumped off his seat on the counter and waved you to follow him into the living room that he yelled at earlier. 

“GROOVES!” The short bird called out and as you entered you heard a dramatic gasp and a heavy thunk. “Get your arse off the bench ‘n come meet the newcomer.” The Conductor sighed and turned to you and grumbled. “He may be a bloody pecking wizard when it comes to music, but he’s shite at everythin’ else.”

You stifled a laugh at his language and looked up to see a penguin, sporting a well loved afro and decked out in a (bedazzled) tuxedo, complete with matching bow tie.

“I heard that, you know.” He glared at your smaller companion, who only smirked in response. He then turned his attention to you and stuck out a...flipper, you suppose, which you took into a handshake. “A pleasure to meet you, darling. Call me Grooves. I’m the resident entertainer-”

“While your music skills are admirable, Grooves, you should remember your title as head butler comes first.” Moonjumper, who had quietly been lurking behind you and the Conductor, slid past the two of you into the open area of the living room. You swear you could hear the Conductor snickering under his breath.

The penguin heaved a dramatic sigh and re-shook your hand. “Yes, I’m  _ head butler _ in a place where my talent goes unappreciated!” 

You could barely make out Moonjumper’s sigh from his spot, now across the room, and you smiled at Grooves. 

“Y/N, but I’m guessing you already know my name, huh?”

The penguin nodded in return, and opened his mouth as if to say something, but a deep rumbling from somewhere in the house made him snap his beak shut. You could practically feel your bones rattling as the room grew dimmer, and you almost fell over onto your new companions as a dark purple figure began to amass in the center of the room. 

The light of his eyes reflected off the polished piano a few feet from him before he rose fully and locked eyes with you. 

**“Will somebody tell me,”** though his ever present smile never faltered, you could hear his voice strain from a deep rooted annoyance; like a tightly wound rubber band, he was on the verge of snapping.  **“why** **_all_ ** **my** **_faithful_ ** **servants seem to be doing ABSOLUTELY** **_NOTHING_ ** **?”**

The sheer volume of his voice was enough to make you flinch and cover your ears. Beside you, your new bird friends were frozen in fear, heads downcast and eyes shut. You huffed under your breath and stood straight, glaring at  _ The Master _ . 

“Moonjumper…” You looked at the said head of house, whose mismatched eyes were darting everywhere around the room to come up with a good excuse. Apparently, your tour was not something The Master had planned for you.

“I-”

**“Spit it out, newbie. I haven’t got all day.”**

The nerve of this ghost! What did he have to do that was so important? Watch dust mites fight? Curse a nearby village? Sit and wait for an opportunity to yell at you? You fought the urge to stick your tongue out at him, lest it get cut off and put in a weird science jar for him to stare at. That seems like something he would do.

“I was  _ saying _ , that I asked Moonjumper to show me around the mansion before I got started with work. I thought you’d appreciate a worker who could effectively get to where they’d need to go quickly. You know, as to not waste such  _ precious time _ doing  _ very important work _ for you,  _ Master Snatcher _ .” You fought for your face to remain neutral despite the fact that you wanted nothing more than to put on a sickly sweet smile and act condescending towards your boss. 

That would probably only make things worse.

Snatcher’s smile tightened.  **“I don’t like your tone, newbie.”**

You rolled your eyes. “If I may be so bold: what are you going to do about it? It’s not like you can make my life worse.”

Snatcher stared at you for a few moments.  **“Grooves.”** The bird in question straightened up with a timid “Yes, sir?” 

**“I suddenly feel like you deserve a vacation, don’t you? You work yourself** ** _so hard_** **_every day_** **, and…”** A calendar appeared in a puff of purple smoke next to him and he put on a show looking it over. **“Oh, my! It seems you haven’t had a day off in...well, never! HA! You’ve been working** ** _decades_** **restlessly. Get out of my sight and get to your quarters.”**

The penguin, though unsure, hurried out the door, casting a nervous glance at the still panicking Moonjumper and a sympathetic look towards you. 

A list, much longer than yours, appeared above you and gracelessly draped itself over you. Your original list of chores floated to rest itself on top of it.

**“Since we’re short a staff member today, you’re gonna have to pick up the slack, newbie.”** You gawked at his words. 

“You can’t-”

**“I DO WHAT I WANT, NEWBIE. You may have forgotten, but this is still MY mansion, and I still have YOUR soul. So if you want to stay alive and hope for a better future, you had** **_better_ ** **follow my orders. Got it, newbie.”**

You forced yourself to take a deep breath and look him in the eyes. “I have a name.”

**“I’ll use it when I think you’ve earned the right to be called by it. Now,”** he stooped down to your level, not even a foot away from your face.  **“are we going to have anymore problems today, newbie?”**

Your lip quavered. Your brows furrowed, you wanted nothing more than to kick him in the mouth. You may lose a foot, but it would be worth it.

Instead, you held his gaze evenly and muttered out a, “No.”

**“No...what?”**

Peck, was he really going to make you play this game? Whatever, you just wanted this to be over so you could start on your stupid long chores.

“No, Master Snatcher. We won’t have anymore problems.”

**“THAT’S what I like to hear.”** He pulled away with a condescending pat on your head.  **“Best get to work. Those chores aren’t gonna do themselves!”** He vanished back into whatever shadow he crawled up from with that annoying cackle.

You took a shaky breath and looked over to your companions, who looked at you with pity. The Conductor stepped forward with an outstretched arm. “Y/N…”

You shook your head. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. It’s just cleaning, and trust me, no mess that the Master has can top the messes my sister makes.” you began to look over the list of Grooves’ chores. “You guys should get back to work.”

Moonjumper floated towards you. “Y/N, I-”

You turned back to look at them with a small smile. “Really, guys, I’ll be fine. I promise I’ll let you know if I need anything, okay?”

That seemed to satisfy them well enough, though they both still looked concerned as they left to begin their separate duties for the day. You looked over the list of chores again and, with a deep sigh, set off to begin your own work.

* * *

This sucks.

This  _ sucks. _

You scrubbed mercilessly at the stains on the floor that refused to leave while you refused to think about what they could possibly be from. You’d been on your knees in this stupid living room for the better part of the hour, trying in vain to clean it top to bottom. Your legs were sore and stiff from kneeling for so long, and your poor hands looked like prunes at this point from the soapy water. 

A part of you suspects you were given this fruitless task to spite you.

The other part of you wouldn’t be surprised.

The emptiness in you that was formerly occupied by your soul was now only filled with an unrelenting anger towards  _ that stupid ghost _ that had captured your sister,  _ stole her soul _ , and then booted her out into the wintry wilderness to fend for herself. You tried to will that anger into helping you clean, but the stains were relentless. That now vacant part of you wretched as you could practically hear your new boss’ cruel laughter at your situation.

What you wouldn’t give to mop this disgusting room with his stupid grin. Literally. 

A chuckle almost bubbled up from your throat at the thought: you, handling some probably ancient, possibly demonic being like some everyday household ware, and him, not being able to talk or laugh through the sudsy water as you pushed him around in order to clean up his own dirty mansion. While you suppressed your vocal amusement at the idea, you did allow yourself to smile - a nice reprieve from your near constant frowning. 

You pulled back from your progress-less work with a content smile. Obviously this isn’t what the Master meant when he set you up to while away at some stupid permenant stain for the whole day, but he couldn’t say that you didn’t do your best. Plus, all that fruitless work made you hungry!

As you stood up, an unfortunately familiar rumbling shook the ground beneath you. It really is a wonder this mansion hasn’t been reduced to rubble yet if that’s the only way he gets around.

**“Hello, newbie. See the stain is treating you well.”** He smiled ruthlessly at the lack of progress you had made.

You bit back an annoyed sigh. “Hello, Master Snatcher. How can I help you?” You began gathering your cleaning supplies, unwilling to look at him right now.

**“I see someone’s had time to think about their rather unruly attitude. I can’t say I don’t mind the change in your tone. You sound so...defeated! HA! It’s truly hilarious.”** He pantomimed wiping a tear from his eye and though his words frustrated you, you refused to give him a reaction. 

He seemed...taken aback by your lack of response, but only for a second, before he continued,  **“Anyway, since you’re basically done with your chores,”** you were not even close to having them done,  **“I thought I’d do something nice.”** What was he playing at?

**“You’re gonna join me for dinner tonight, though I can’t guarantee you food won’t be poisoned. You could call it a...rite of passage here at the mansion.”** That didn’t sound...horrible...even if it was poisoned. Today’s work had made you hungry, but...dinner? With Snatcher? You could barely stand the thought of him, there’s no way you could sit through and stomach an entire dinner looking at his face. 

“While I understand it’s a...tradition here, I’m gonna have to decline your offer, so, thanks, but no thanks, Master Snatcher.” Your words were monotone as you picked up the last of your cleaning supplies and dropped them off in the cleaning closet close by.

He was silent for a few moments as you turned to face him before he burst out into that damned pecking laughed that made your ears ring for minutes afterwards.  **“HA! Newbie, I don’t think you understand.”** His eyes narrowed as his smile grew.  **“You** **_will_ ** **join me for dinner.”**

“I-”

**“That’s NOT a request.”**

And then you were falling. You were falling through a shadow and though you tried, you couldn’t scream. Your voice only made itself known as you landed with a bounce on the bed you woke up in that morning, your scream devolving into a mortified squeak, and then into an angry, muffled curse. 

You hate that stupid pecking ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your patience and wonderful comments! Y'all are too sweet, I swear! Also? Hello? Over 100 kudos? Y'all! Are too! Kind! Thank you so much! Your interactions with this work really keep me motivated, and has inspired some...other stories in the works (side eye emoji). I may talk about it in the next chapter, but let me know if you'd be interested in reading another fairy tale inspired story like this with another AHIT character (wink wink). Again, thank you so much for the positive feedback on this story, y'all are the real MVPs! 
> 
> Also, Snatcher gets better, I promise, I just write things in a really drawn out way. We won't make it to 100 chapters, but I can't promise we won't get close.


	11. Ghosts of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small peak into yours and Snatcher's thoughts.

Snatcher watched your form fall through the shadow, only content when he heard your muffled, undignified screaming from your room. With a satisfied smirk, he slithered to the kitchen where the Conductor was hard at work organizing the pantry. His back was turned towards the ghost, and while Snatcher had wanted to wait for him to turn around to frighten him, the Conductor took his sweet pecking time to make sure everything was in order. While Snatcher could appreciate the bird’s care of making sure every knife was unnervingly sharp, eventually his impatience won out.

**“Conductor,”** the simple word was enough to make the bird in question nearly jump out of his skin, and he whipped around in such a hurry that his head might have flown off were it not still attached to whatever neck he had. 

The Conductor stood stringent, nearly smacking himself in the face as he brought his hand up quickly in a hasty salute, and barked out a, “Yes, sir!”

Snatcher rolled his eyes at the theatrics, but continued,  **“Make sure tonight’s dinner is actually edible. The rookie will be eating with me tonight.”**

The Conductor’s hand flopped back down to his side as his eyebrows rose in disbelief and concern. The Master had always had dinner alone in his dusty, cold room, and to order having it with the newest member of their ranks? Something didn’t sit right with him...but far be it from him to speak out against The Master, lest he want to lose another part of himself. Losing his name was already extremely difficult, he didn’t know if he could handle the loss of something else…

Anyway.

The Conductor cleared his throat, nodded, and mumbled an, “Aye, sir. I’ll have it ready ‘n sent t’yer chamb-”

**“NO!”** Snatcher all but hissed at his servant, leaning down to get a good, tight grip on the front of his shirt, pulling him forward to meet him face-to-face. His fangs glinted in the light of the kitchen lamps and his signature smile had twisted its way into a crooked frown. The cold, sharp claws of his hands tore into the Conductor’s freshly pressed shirt and silently threatened to tear into his throat as well as punishment for the words he spoke. Snatcher could practically feel the fear rolling off The Conductor in waves, and while he’d normally revel in the power he felt because of it, he had to make sure this bird understood the severity of the situation. **“They are not to be allowed ANYWHERE near my chambers.”** The Master’s voice dropped an octave and he growled, “ **Understand?”**

The poor bird managed to give a clear nod through his trembling before he was unceremoniously dropped to the floor with a dull  _ thud. _ Satisfied, Snatcher stretched back to his full height and began the journey to his next victim, the ever pathetic and entirely dead Head of the Household. 

He paused at the doorway to turn back to his servant, his smile returning to his face.  **“Have the dinner ready and the table set by 8. You know the consequences if it’s not to my tastes, don’t you, dear Conductor?”** The bird in question feebly nodded and quickly set about prepping his workplace for the meal. 

Snatcher hummed to himself, content with the terror he instilled in the soulless servant. Now to find Moonjumper...who was probably skulking around in the attic...again. Snatcher could feel the sigh build up where his lungs used to be and dragged a clawed hand down his face. The attic...he hated going to the attic. Perhaps even more so than he hated going into the cellar. 

The two places had very different memories, neither of which he was ever willing to relive. The cellar only held the shadow of a cold, distant memory, but...the attic was filled with warm, recent memories that cut too close to the void where his heart once rested. 

Memories of the gentle sunlight flittering in through the clear glass, lighting up the room in a soft glow and warming his cheek. The feeling of resting on her lap and smiling as her blond hair gently caressed his face. Her laughter, open and welcoming as it echoed around the small room. Oh, the things he would do to hear that laugh…

The heart dropping feeling when she didn’t, and only looked back at him with a vacant stare, a sneer if he was lucky…

It’s dimmer...the light of the foyer snapped him back to reality. 

She’s gone. She’s gone and those warm memories were supposed to have left with her. 

Snatcher remained still for a few moments, though he honestly couldn’t admit to himself whether it was due to a sickly warm feeling sinking into his gut and turning cold at the thought of the memories tucked away but never out of reach…

...or the pit that followed when he braced himself to face them.

The sigh that had built up in him left his cold lips as he forced himself to stop contemplating his past life and allowed himself to slip into the shadows of the foyer.

As expected, Moonjumper was in the attic, cleaning up the dust and the cobwebs that had layered themselves over the chests and boxes that littered the room. Snatcher knew that keeping these memories was a horrible idea but...some small part of him, deep inside can’t bear to get rid of it, despite the pain. 

Snatcher does everything to keep that small part of him as deep and as smothered as possible.

**“Moonjumper,”** his tone was terse and sharp, and he ignored the head of the household’s small jump. As much as Snatcher would love to mock him and lorde it over his head, he’d rather spend as little time as possible in the attic.  **“Get this done quickly. Our newest member is having dinner with me tonight. Have them and the table ready by 8.”** He waved his clawed hand nonchalantly. **“Given his stature, I’m certain The Conductor would struggle with the task on top of having dinner done on time.”**

Snatcher slunk around the room, picking up a cobweb off a dresser he refused to think about for too long.  **“But your main concern is having the newbie ready.”** He dropped the cobweb and paid no mind to it as it slowly floated to the floor, as if it were never in his hand in the first place.  **“Understood?”**

Moonjumper’s only reply was a solemn nod and a curt “Yes, Master Snatcher,” and satisfied that tonight would be properly taken care of, the ghost disappeared into the many shadows of the attic. He returned to his chambers, already more at ease in his room - where the wallpaper was faded and messy and bore the mark of his claws, where the most beautiful flower she had rejected sit in its unfeeling glass container, where the pictures of his former self lay in shreds, which served as a reprieve of his past life and heavy, cold reminder of where he is now...

Of who he is now. 

He allowed his mind to be encompassed by the familiar numbness and disregard of his room and settled into his chair with a familiar book. 

And to an outside eye, in the comfortable familiar dark of isolation, Snatcher almost looked....human.

* * *

Your feet were starting to hurt, and you’d imagined that if the floor could feel, it would also be in distress from your near constant pacing. When you’d first began you had taken care to stomping, like the ghost who’d trapped you in this room could hear your angry footsteps, knowing that even if he could, he probably wouldn’t care. As time went on however, you had resigned to normal, angry pacing, ranting to yourself about this...this...this whole mess!

At first, during your brief and interrupted period of sorrow, you thought perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad here as you’d imagined.

Why would you even think that some creepy ghost who keeps himself holed away in a mansion in the middle of nowhere and takes children’s souls would show even the slightest bit of compassion or kindness?

You supposed it was on you for being even slightly optimistic. But then again, you didn’t really know what you were signing up for.

You let out another angry groan (probably the sixth one you’ve had in the last 3 minutes) and resisted the urge to kick the stupid door that kept you locked in here. It wasn’t the door’s fault you were here. 

Ultimately, you thought, that fault is still yours for not being strict with Hattie and her adventures. 

Ultimately, you thought afterwards, it was that stupid ghost’s fault for being out here in the first place.

You sighed and slumped against the door. While you very much did not understand the reasonings of your ghost-captor, locking you in your room after demanding your presence at dinner was an interesting choice of...whatever this was. Torture? It certainly felt like it, with how long you’ve been in here. How long have you been in here anyway? There was no clock in the room, and though the curtains on the window were drawn back, the ever-raging snowstorm didn’t allow one to see the sun’s position. You huffed and laid your head back against the door.

What did that crummy Snatcher want with your soul anyway? With anyone’s soul? What could he gain from keeping people trapped here? Fruitlessly keeping this filthy mansion clean?

He could be keeping everyone here in order to eat them later….but that would sort of negate the necessity of your presence at dinner tonight....unless you were on the menu. If so, you would make sure you were extra bitter for him so he wouldn’t enjoy a single bite. You smiled to yourself at the thought, and figured no, you and the other servants probably weren’t some produce kept fresh in this fridge of a land. 

Let’s see...why else would he keep you all here? He...he could…

He could be lonely.

For a split second your heart sank at the thought, before it soared back into your chest with an angry fire, like a hot air balloon trying desperately to stay afloat. What kind of cruel creature would trap people to satisfy its own loneliness? To force this weird dynamic onto others and call it friendship? Maybe he was lonely and needed some play things to quench his boredom. Your nose crinkled at the thought of becoming nothing more than a doll for that Snatcher. 

...What if he was lonely though? You allowed yourself to ponder the concept. Well, if he really was lonely, he was horrible at conveying it. Even if circumstances were different - if you weren’t stuck here, if he hadn’t traumatized the two children that you cared more about than the entire world - it would take a lot of convincing for you to open up to him. He was as cold as the winter outside and his demeanor had just as much bite as the icy wind. 

Though, if you were trapped here for as long as he has (he had mentioned something along the lines of a couple millennia earlier in the cellar), you weren’t sure you’d be able to say that the trials of time and isolation hadn’t changed you.

Who was the man behind the ghostly visage (if he even was a human at all)? What had his life been like before this? Was he always so...him? If not, what had he gone through in this peck awful mansion to make him who he is now?

A gentle knock snapped you out of your thoughts and you shook your head to fully clear them out. Snatcher’s past didn’t matter to you - you’re only forced to deal with him in the present, so you’ll only concern yourself with his present behavior. 

You stood and dusted off your clothes before turning and opening the door. 

“Good evening, my dear.” You smiled as the closest thing you had to a friend here greeted you. 

“Good evening, Moonjumper. What brings you by?” It couldn’t possibly be dinner time already...but then again, you didn’t know how long you had spent in your room. 

Moonjumper gently nodded towards your room, silently asking for permission to enter, which you obliged to by stepping aside. He glided in easily, looking around as if he had heard your earlier tantrum and was expecting some damage to be done, before looking at you. “I am here to prepare you for tonight’s dinner.”

Your smile dropped and you rolled your eyes, walking over to the bed and sitting down on its edge with a huff. “Well you’re gonna be here a while then. I’m not going.”

Moonjumper stiffened and his mismatched eyes stared at you as if you had grown a second head. “Not...going? B-but my dear, you must go, the Master has...ordered it-”

“Listen,” you interrupted. “He may be able to boss me around when it comes to chores and junk, but there’s no way I’m letting the Master order me to dinner. With him, no less!”

Your companion sighed and sat (as well a ghost without legs could) next to you. His energy radiated that of a tired mother, and you almost felt guilty about your attitude.

Almost.

“My dear,” he sighed, “why don’t you want to go to dinner?” It was your turn to stare at him as if  _ he’d _ grown a second head. You opened your mouth to answer, but you were cut off. “I promise it...won’t be horrible, and when….it’s all done, you can come up here and be...unbothered. You won’t be alone during it either. The Conductor and I will be there so you….shouldn’t worry about being stuck with him.”

You groaned. “I’m not worried about being alone with him, I just...don’t wanna be near him at all!”

Moonjumper petted your head gently. “I can understand that given your...predicament. But...the Master isn’t...all that bad. Once you’ve known him as long as I have you...begin to understand him. Besides, it’s better to get this over and done with then give him another reason to throw another tantrum and...give us another mess to clean up tomorrow.” His faint, wispy laugh was enough to draw a small smile out of you. 

“I guess you have a point. Alright, let’s get this over with.” You stood up from the bed and held your hands out. “Work your magic, Moonjumper.”

He smiled back at you, “That’s the spirit.” and floated off the bed towards the wardrobe in the far corner of your room. “Let’s get started.”

With his back to you, you allowed yourself one sigh, beginning the mental and emotional preparation this dinner’s gonna take. 

This was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Please don't hate me for the late late update! School just started for me and it's got me pretty busy! I'm already working on the next chapter though, and hopefully it'll be up before too long, but don't quote me on that. Expect some *~*awkward dinner conversations*~* next chapter!


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